Your Human And You
by Piluvr
Summary: "This is an old story that I had saved onto my PC. Its not online anymore, so ill reupload it."
1. Chapter 1

THIS IS A RE-UPLOAD

/ Prologue: Standing in Your Grave /-/

The smell of grease filled my nostrils as I leaned over the hot grill. Sweat dripped from my brow as I hurried to remove the finished meat, placing it its proper tray. Throwing the grease-covered spatula on the top of the grill, I walked over and shoved the meat-filled tray into the heated slot with the other meat. After setting the timer, I turned my attention back to the grill.

"Regular meat is up," I said loudly, trying to be heard over the other noises in the grill area. My manager, Charles, looked back at me from his position at the beginning of the assembly table.

"We need more nuggets down, Max," he said. He had a thick Asian accent that made it almost impossible to understand him sometimes. It didn't help that he was also fairly soft-spoken.

"They're going down," I said through gritted teeth, trying to clean most of the excess grease off of the grill. Giving up on getting the grill clean at the moment, I turned and opened one of the freezers located in the grill area. Pulling out two bags of nuggets, I tore a hole in the plastic and emptied both bags into a fry basket. I dipped the basket into the fryer and hit the timer. As the chicken nuggets began to cook, I glanced out at the lobby.

It was full of customers; the line at the cash registers was wrapping itself around the inside of the restaurant before heading out the door. The line of cars in the drive-thru lanes indicated that they too were similarly packed. As I looked out at the sea of people, I groaned inwardly.

"Another typical Friday in Hell," I muttered under my breath, wiping my forehead with the back of my arm.

"I've got an order for twenty five cheeseburgers coming up!" one of the order-takers in the drive-thru yelled, covering her headset's microphone with her hand. The entire kitchen staff, myself included, groaned aloud at that.

"You're going to have to park them," Charles called out before turning back to me. "Max, I need regular meat down right away."

"On it," I said, already heading to the proper freezer. Opening the lid, I reached down into the frozen depths, only to find it empty. Cursing, I straightened up.

"Charles, we're out of regular meat!" He looked back at me and swore to himself in Korean. Pulling a ring of keys out of his pocket, he tossed them over to me.

"Head back to the freezer and grab a case," he growled. I caught the keys deftly. As I hurried out of the grill and towards the back of the store, I heard the order-takers call back another big order.

"Who the hell orders seventeen Big Macs?" I grumbled, picking up the pace. Reaching the freezer door, I began flipping through the keys, looking for the right one. I found the bugger, jammed it into the lock, and twisted. Yanking the door open, I hurried inside. Glancing around, I shivered as the cold air of the freezer hit my skin, freezing the sweat on my arms and face. As my breath fogged the air in front of me, I hurried from box to box, looking for the one that I needed. Locating the required meat, I picked up the box and proceeded to head back out of the freezer. Putting my back to the door, I pushed against the frozen metal. The door swung open and I stepped backwards.

"What the fuck?!" I cried out in alarm as my foot fell through nothing. It felt as if the floor had just disappeared out from underneath me. Dropping the box of meat, I flailed my arms around as I tried to regain my balance. I remained suspended in the air for a brief moment before falling backwards. There was an immediate flash of blinding light and I closed my eyes in pain. As the light subsided, a burning sensation tore at my throat, causing my eyes to water. It felt like I had eaten a handful of habañero peppers.

As I coughed from the burning sensation in my throat, I tumbled through the air, my arms and legs flailing uselessly. I grunted in pain as I landed on my back with a thud. Blinking tears from my eyes, I tried desperately to regain my vision. Reaching my hand out to push myself up, I felt my fingers slowly sink into something coarse and warm. As my sight returned to me, I glanced down. My jaw dropped as I saw that I was currently lying on a pile of sand. Looking around quickly, I saw that I was surrounded by sand as far as the eye could see. Somehow, I had gone from the back of a McDonald's to the middle of a fucking desert.

What the hell?! I said, or at least tried to say. As I opened my mouth to speak, a spike of pain ran through my throat, causing me to gag slightly. Rubbing my neck with a hand, I swallowed before trying to speak again. I was met with the same result: a spike of pain followed by a dull, burning sensation. For whatever reason, I was now mute as well.

Great, now I'm stuck in the middle of a desert, and I'm mute. How the fuck did this happen? I thought, holding my head in my hands. My eyes widened suddenly as I realized what I had thought.

Wait… I'm stuck in a bloody desert! I stiffened as I realized how screwed I was. I was in the middle of some unknown desert with no food, water, or anything that could be considered useful whatsoever. All I had on me was my work shirt, my McDonald's visor, my car keys, my wallet (which was surprisingly lacking in the money department), and my cell phone.

I facepalmed as I remembered I had my cell phone on me. Dumbass, you have a means to call for help. As I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket, I gave silent thanks to Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and the poor little Chinese kid who had been forced to make it. I may have found myself suddenly mute, but at least I could still send text messages.

Turning on my phone, I held it up and waited for it to load. Finally, it fired up and the lock screen flashed across the surface. I glanced at the upper right-hand corner of the screen. I cheered silently as I saw that I had 82% battery life left. I hadn't wasted it playing games before work earlier. Thank God for little miracles.

Now, let's see if we can get a signal out here. Holding the phone up higher, I watched as the phone searched for a signal. Come on, baby, don't let me down. It continued searching for several more minutes before a message saying "no signal" appeared on the screen. I stared up at it in horror.

No signal! Are you shitting me?! God damn it, Verizon. The one time that I ACTUALLY need you, and you failed me spectacularly. Dejected, I returned my phone to my pocket. As I sat there, depressed, I suddenly became aware of the scorching sun beating down upon me. Sighing heavily, I stood and brushed the sand off of my legs. Might as well get moving. Don't want to roast out here. Glancing around, I saw sand, sand, and more sand. There was sand everywhere, in all directions. Not a single sign of life. No animals, no vultures circling in the distance, no rocky outcrops sticking out of the sand. There weren't even any cacti anywhere. Just sand. Not knowing what else I could do, I picked a direction and started walking.

I now know what it feels like to be the meat I cook on the grill. The cruel sun beat down on me as I walked, slowly roasting me alive. I hadn't ever sweated this much before in my life. At least the sweat meant I was still slightly hydrated. I hadn't had anything to drink recently; my last beverage being a Red Bull several hours before ending up in this hellish landscape.

My visor rested low over my eyes. I was trying to protect them from the relentless attack of the sun, but it was pretty much useless. It wasn't even a proper hat. It was basically a thin strip of black fabric with a visor attached to it. I don't even think that McDonald's thought the hat would be used for anything besides looks when they were designing their uniforms.

Sand continued to fill my shoes with each step I took. The gritty texture was starting to get very, very uncomfortable. It was almost like I wasn't wearing shoes at all. Oh, enough of this bullshit. Sitting down, I quickly unlaced my shoes. Ripping them off of my feet, I held them in my hands, examining them.

…eeeeewwwww! The bottoms of the shoes were coated in a mixture of sand and grease. Trying to swallow down the bile rising in the back of my throat, I tossed my disgusting shoes as far away from me as possible. It wasn't that big of a loss on my part; they were provided to me by the McDonald's corporation. My sandy, sweaty socks soon joined the shoes. Standing, I grimaced as the sand shifted between my toes. Grumbling, I tried to ignore the sensation as I continued on my way.

Have you ever reached the point where you're pretty sure that you've totally lost it? I think I may have passed that point about three hours ago. It may have just been the dehydration, or my imagination, but I felt like the sun itself was watching me, laughing at my attempts to survive. I pulled my visor down lower over my face. I didn't quite feel like having a staring contest with the big ball of fire in the sky.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my wallet. Turning the black, leather object around in my hands, I stared down at it with a blank expression. Cracking it open, I glanced into its empty insides. Grunting in annoyance, I closed the wallet and chucked it as far as I could get the fucker to go. It was pretty much useless to me now, as it had only my driver's license and my debit card in it. Besides, I really needed to throw something, and the phone was clearly more valuable.

Oh God, I'm bored out of my mind! There was nothing to do in this desert except walk. I was possibly in a life-threatening situation, but I needed something to take my mind off of what was happening to me. Normally I would sing to myself, but thanks to my newfound muteness, that was out of the question. If only there was some way to pass the time…

I stopped mid-step and facepalmed. Of course I had a way to pass the time. I had an iPhone in my pocket that had over two-thousand songs on it. I wasn't one of those weird people who had over ten-thousand songs loaded onto their phone, but it had enough to be satisfactory. Fishing around in my pocket for my new best friend, I pulled out my phone with a smile plastered on my face. Already hearing the music in my head, I turned the device on and proceeded to unlock it. As I looked for the music app, I happened to glance up at the battery icon.

35% power? How the hell is it that low already? I was horrified at the rate I was losing power. It didn't make sense; I hadn't used the phone since I found out that there was no… signal… here…

Oh shit. I cringed as I realized that the phone had been searching for a signal the whole time I had been walking. No wonder the battery had been drained so much. I quickly turned the dying phone off and returned it to my pocket, the smile no longer present on my face. I continued on my way, more sober than I was a few minutes ago. The universe was apparently out to screw me today.

As I walked along, the sun continued to watch me, mocking my torment.

I could feel my skin slowly beginning to burn as the sun beat down on me relentlessly. I trudged along, dragging my now blistered bare feet through the endless sea of burning sand. I had stopped sweating hours ago, and the inside of my mouth was bone dry. I licked my cracked lips, trying to relieve the pain. I was almost completely out of energy, and I had barely any strength left as I pulled myself up yet another sand dune. The sun was starting to set, casting a blood red hue across the sand. I had been wandering around the desert for what felt like hours, but I couldn't tell if I had made any progress towards finding help. No, I mustn't give up hope. Surely I was nearing some kind of shelter. Maybe an oasis, or a cave, or a sinkhole, or something useful.

I was snapped out of my daze when my foot struck something hard. I cried out as I fell flat on my face. Coughing and spitting, I sat up and clawed the sand from my eyes. My toes throbbed in pain. Glancing behind me, I spat more sand from my mouth. What the hell did I trip over? My eyes widened in horror as I saw the culprit.

Sticking out of the sand, still covered in a disgusting mixture of sand and grease, were my work shoes. I had tripped over my own goddamn shoes. Despair filled me as I realized that I was back where I had originally started; I was basically going around in circles! My scream of frustration echoed across the barren wasteland, unheard by any living creature. All that I achieved was to sap what little strength I had left.

The sun was only a few centimeters from the horizon, making my shadow long. Unable to muster enough strength to stand, I just sat there with my head in my hands, crying silently. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I sighed heavily, utterly defeated. I was going to die out here, in this hellish desert, and there was nothing I could do about it.

As the sun drew nearer to the horizon, I simply sat there, alone with my thoughts. I was exhausted, hungry, thirsty, and covered with burns. I was stuck in a desert somewhere, with no way of getting any help. I had a phone that didn't have any service and was almost dead, as well as a set of car keys to a car that wasn't currently present. I had nothing that could help me in any way possible. I groaned into my hands. I used to be in the Boy Scouts! How the hell was I not prepared for a survival situation?

…

Well, in my defense, I don't think we ever covered being magically transported to a different location on any of our scouting events.

I fell backwards into the sand, staring up at the darkening sky. None of that mattered now, I guess. I was going to die out here no matter what, and no one would ever find my body. I sighed again and, closing my eyes, I let darkness claim me as the sun finally set beneath the horizon, plunging the desert into night.


	2. Chapter 2

/-/  
/ Chapter 1: Descent into Hell/-/

I was brought back to the world of the living by someone throwing a bucket of ice water in my face. Sputtering and coughing, I jerked awake. Blinking water from my eyes, I looked around, trying to get my brain working again. As I wiped water from my face with my hand, I noticed that I was no longer in the desert. While I could consider that a very good thing, my new environment was much more intimidating.

I was currently in a large, dark room that was filled with metal crates and cages. It looked like some form of shipping compartment. The ground I was lying on was metal and cold. I could feel it vibrating softly beneath my body. Whatever this place was, it was moving, and fast. I was instantly reminded of a train.

Shifting my legs underneath me, I sat up slightly. Upon doing so, I became aware of the fact that I was completely and utterly naked. My uniform was gone and I was now wearing only my birthday suit. Automatically reaching down, I covered myself with my hands, a blush spreading across my face.

Great, I go from frying outside in the desert to being buck naked in a dark, enclosed space. At least I was out of the harsh sun, even if I had no clue how I got there. I blinked as a thought entered my head, causing me to frown slightly. Am I dead? Did I die and go to some weird afterlife? Looking around at my surroundings again, my frown deepened. If that s the case, then the Church has some major explaining to do, because this wasn t the white fluffy happiness they promised.

It seems to be slightly disoriented.

You would be too, if somepony woke you like that. The sound of voices behind me snapped me out of my daze, and I quickly turned towards the noise. Looking around for whoever spoke, my eyes fell, not on another human being, but upon two small horses right behind me. I noticed that one had an empty bucket by its hooves. I found that extremely odd, but pushed the feeling aside.

As I looked at them, I felt my frown return. They looked almost like horses, but there was something off about them. To begin with, they weren t very big. At first I thought that they could be foals, but they were actually full grown when I took a closer look. They stood about four feet tall, from the ground to their heads, and both of their coats were a dark, steely gray color; their manes a midnight black. They also had an image tattooed onto their flanks: one mare had a picture of a red rose with thorns, and the other a shiny pearl.

Their faces were also off: their cold, icy blue eyes were seemingly too big for their heads. The entire structure of their face was more akin to that of a human than a horse, but they still looked equine in appearance. I couldn t really explain it very well, it just looked... wrong, and the more they stared at me, the weirder I felt.

He s better looking than most of the dregs we find wandering the desert, one of the horses said, leaning in towards the other and speaking in a hushed, feminine tone. My eyes widened in shock at that. They re speaking they re actually talking! As my brain tried to process what it was seeing, the other horse replied.

Most definitely. As they spoke, they never took their eyes off of me. I just sat there, staring at them, agape. Talking horses. I m sitting in a metal room with talking horses. It was official: I was dead, and this was some weird, twisted plane of limbo. I opened my mouth to say something to the freaky duo before me, but no sound came out. Instead, pain lanced through my throat, causing me to wince. Great, apparently my newfound muteness followed me into the afterlife. Just what I fucking need. As I sat there, grumbling about my misfortune, one of the horses straightened up and nickered softly.

Alright, she said, quickly turning and trotting towards one of the cages. Enough standing around. Let s get him caged up and stored with the others. I perked up at that. What? Caged up? Others? What is she talking about? I stared at them in confusion, trying to understand what exactly was going on. My eyes widened in shock as the forehead of the mare standing by the cages started to glow. As light slowly emanated from it, I looked on in awe. Is... is that a horn?

I didn t have long to stare, as I was quickly lifted into the air by some unknown force. Struggling in vain, my wrists were quickly bound together by thick strands of rope, and a cloth gag was shoved forcibly into my mouth before wrapping tightly around my head. Afterwards, I was deposited, none too gently, into an awaiting cage.

Still fighting off the dizziness that accompanied my sudden movement, I felt the cage being lifted into the air. As the cage moved, I tried to reorient myself into a more comfortable position, but unfortunately the cage itself was too small. I was now stuck upside down, with my ass in the air.

The cage dropped to the ground with a loud thud, which caused the entire cage to reverberate as metal hit metal. I grunted in pain as the back of my head slammed into the steel floor of the cage. Once the stars stopped dancing in my vision, I forced my head up slightly and glanced around at my new surroundings.

I was sitting at the end of a row of cages, each one with a human in it. The one right next to me contained a man. His wrists were bound, his mouth gagged, and he was naked as well. Unlike me, however, he was sitting upright. Lucky bastard. I squinted my eyes and took a closer look at him. There was something wrong with the way he looked, but I couldn t quite put but my finger on it just yet. Something about the nose, or maybe the eyes. I didn t really care though; at the moment it was just a relief to see another human here beside me, wherever here was.

Looking down the row of cages, I saw that each human was in the same situation: bound, gagged, and naked. Some were just sitting there, staring off into the distance, others were smashing their shoulders up against the bars of their cages, their cries muffled by their gags. It reminded me of something that a feral animal would do when trapped, not an intelligent human. What s going on here? I could see that some of the humans were male, and others were female. Wait female. Naked females.

Great, now I m blushing with my ass in the air. While I was lying there, extremely bothered, another horse entered the compartment and approached the first two. By the look of its build, I would hazard a guess that this one was possibly male.

Pearl, Rose, how is our new addition doing? he asked, glancing over at me. Unlike the first two horses, his coat was a deep red color, and his mane was black. He stared down at me with cold, icy blue eyes that seemed to freeze my very soul. I stared back up at him, swallowing thickly through the gag. I don t like where this is going

So far, so good, one of the mares (Rose, if I m going by the picture on their asses) said, flipping her mane out of her eyes. He didn t attack us on sight, so that s a plus. In fact, he seems kind of docile.

He should fetch us a decent price once we reach Canterlot, the other one, Pearl, said, leaning down to look in the cage at me. It ll probably help that he s better looking than what we usually find. I just stared up at her with a blank expression, trying to register some of what was just said. D-did she just call me good looking? I didn t know what she was comparing me to, but a looker I ain t. I was that anti-social kid that was getting facial hair and acne in the 5th grade, and it had followed me all the way to college. If I m one of the better looking humans they ve seen, then they couldn t have been looking very hard.

My gaze drifted over to the male human next to me as I mused. I scrunched up my face as I studied his appearance. I ll admit, he wasn t the best looking bloke I have ever seen, but then again, I wasn t one to go around judging others' appearances. He might be considered decent looking to someone

okay, I was lying through my teeth. He had a face only a mother could love. He was UGLY with a capital U-G-L-Y!

He s also quite muscular, a fourth voice chimed in. By the looks of it, his muscle tone is decent. Tearing my gaze away from Mr. Ugly beside me, I glanced around for the source of the new voice. Another mare floated over, hovering in the air thanks to a pair of wings on her sides. I rolled my eyes and groaned slightly. She was a pegasus. You know what? I m actually not that surprised anymore. Unicorns and magic and pegasi, oh my!

Wherever I was, it most certainly wasn t Kansas. Or home for that matter. Hell, I didn t even think I was on Earth anymore. As the mare approached, I craned my neck to get a good look at her. Her coat and wings were blue, almost borderline darkish in color, and her mane was yellow.

At the pegasus s words, a round of snickers broke out among the other horses. She huffed and rolled her eyes at her companions with an annoyed expression.

What? I like the look of his muscle structure, she said, ruffling her feathers.

Yeah, the red unicorn stallion snorted. His laughter hadn't quite met his eyes. I bet you have your eye on one particular muscle. At that, the other two burst into laughter as the pegasus mare glared at them, blushing heavily. Her wings were starting to stiffen slightly. I, however, with all my intellect, didn t understand what they meant. One particular muscle? What are they talking about ?

oh

Oh God! My face went bright red and I groaned inwardly as I realized what they were talking about.

Anyways, the pegasus said, flapping her wings to loosen them while she continued to glare at her companions, I came to inform you that the conductor said we ll be arriving at our first stop shortly.

Alright, let s start getting ready then! the stallion said, a wicked smile spreading across his muzzle. I felt an icy chill run up my spine, causing me to shiver. I have a really bad feeling about this.

It was around twenty minutes before the train came to a stop and things began to happen. At least, I think it was twenty minutes. It s kinda hard to tell when you re locked in a cage with your ass in the air.

During that time, several more unicorns had entered the compartment, bringing a crate of materials with them. Placing the crate on the ground, they began walking down the row of cages, taking some humans out of their cages, while leaving others alone. Mine was one of the cages they ignored, passing by without even glancing in at me. I wasn t sure if that was a potentially good thing, or a bad thing.

Grouping the selected humans in the center of the compartment, the unicorns waited until they had all the humans they needed before beginning to herd them out of the room. Any unruly human met the end of a long stick that looked horrifyingly like a cattle prod.

When the last of the humans were escorted out of the compartment, the group of unicorns approached the cage next to mine, which contained Mr. UGLY-face. Ripping his cage open, they pulled him out with their magic and into the middle of the room. He struggled the entire way, but it was pretty much pointless. I could see no way for him to stop whatever was going to happen to him. I cast a glance at the red unicorn stallion, and I felt fear well up inside of me. I swallowed, my throat suddenly very dry. I didn t know what was about to happen, but that look in his icy eyes told me that it wouldn t be good.

Alright, he said, glancing over the other unicorns. This last one is a special order for one Ms. Stardust. Rose walked up out of the darkness, a clipboard held aloft in her magic.

It says here that she wants him marked, she said, consulting the papers on the clipboard with an uninterested air. The way she said marked made me shiver slightly. I could feel my heart rate increase, and I tried desperately to calm myself. I watched as they lowered the poor soul to the floor. Thankfully, due to my position, coupled with the lip of the cage, I was unable to see what was going on. However, nothing prevented me from hearing it.

One of the unicorns, a green mare, lifted the lid off of the crate they had brought in. Reaching down, she pulled out a short, iron pole. There was another piece of metal attached to one end of it, shaped like some sort of hollow star. It looked almost like a branding iron. My eyes widened as I realized what they were about to do. Oh no, oh no, oh hell no! I began to struggle weakly against my bindings. Pearl shot me an amused look.

The green unicorn s horn glowed brighter and the end of the brand began to glow white hot. Approaching the prone man just out of my field of vision, she held the branding iron high in her magic. My eyes snapped closed as she lowered the brand quickly, but I could not block out the resulting noise.

A horrible hissing noise filled the air, followed by the smell of burning flesh. A muffled cry of pain echoed around the compartment as the poor soul tried to scream through his gag. There was another hiss, followed by another scream. I cringed as I realized that they had branded him twice.

Slowly, with great trepidation, I opened my eyes. The other humans around me were silent, huddled in the corners of their cages, shivering in fear. I could hear the now branded human whimpering quietly, his body still lying just out of my field of vision.

This isn t happening, I thought. There is no way this can be real. It has to be a dream, a nightmare, anything but reality! There is no way that this can get any worse!

It also says here that she wants him to be neutered, Rose said, eyes drifting to the bottom of the clipboard, a small smile touching her lips.

My last statement was not a challenge, Universe. It was not a challenge! The unicorn mare returned the branding iron to the box, before pulling out what appeared to be a small pair of garden shears. As they glinted in the low lighting, I stared in horror. There is no way in Hell those should ever be used for neutering ANYTHING!

I immediately shut my eyes again, not wanting to bear witness to the horrors that were about to take place. I was struggling hard not to vomit with the gag in my mouth.

The sounds of hooves echoed around the compartment, followed by an eerie silence. The tension in the air was so thick, you could cut it okay, maybe that was a bad choice of words given the current situation.

The silence continued for several more seconds, accompanied by the soft sound of something moving. A small whimper echoed around the room as they moved him into a better position. The sound of metal scraping on metal could be heard as the unicorn opened the shears. I screwed up my face, trying hard to block out the sound, but to no avail. A brief pause followed, then a sudden swish and

I didn t see it happen. I never want to see it happen. But the sounds that echoed around the metal prison as those unicorns forever took away what made that wretched soul a man, followed by that bone chilling scream, will forever haunt my darkest nightmares.

It was in that moment that I knew that I had definitely died. Only I wasn t in paradise, nor was I in limbo.

I had died and gone to Hell.

After they had hauled the poor soul away and finished cleaning up after the procedure, the rest of the unicorns hosed the remainder of us humans down with freezing water. I hardly noticed the temperature, however, as I was still in shock over what had happened.

Just the other day I was at work, trying to make enough money to go to college. Now I find myself in this hellish land. What could I have possibly done to deserve this fate? I mean, I didn t live by the Bible, but that doesn t mean I was a jackass either. I was kind, generous, and polite (only if they deserved it). I treated others with respect and loved my parents deeply.

My parents. That was another thing. If I was truly dead, I felt bad that my parents would have to deal with the funeral. No parent should ever have to bury their own child. But on the other hand, what if I hadn t died and was just missing in this strange new land? How long would they search for me before they gave up hope? Was I stuck here? Could I ever get back home?

Home. That was another thing in an endless list of things. This was clearly not Earth, as it was made abundantly clear by the talking horses, magic, and the (from what behavior I've seen so far) stupid humans. But if this wasn t Earth, then where was here?

All these thoughts buzzed through my head as tears slowly rolled down my face. The train lurched into motion and continued on its way.

For the next several days, the same thing would happen over and over again. The train would stop at some unknown location, then the unicorns would return and choose a handful of humans before escorting them away. It was always the same group of unicorns too. This caused me to believe that they were all probably part of a large group of horses that captured and sold humans. Some of the humans would require branding, and others were required to be neutered or spayed. I m not even going to go into the details of that particular process, but believe me: it was not pretty. The unicorns would sometimes bring more humans on as well, stuffing them into the many empty cages that were stacked in the compartment.

It may have been luck (or not), but they never bothered me during these events. It seemed that they had other plans for me. What those plans were, I had no idea, but I was not looking forward to them.

After completing the procedure, the unicorns would then hose all the remaining humans down with a blast of frozen water and the train would be on its way again. At first I didn t understand why they were spraying us with the icy water, but after a few days I finally understood. Let s just say that it had something to do with the fact that there was no bathrooms in the cages. At least I had the common sense to do my business in a corner of my cage, having, thankfully, managed to right myself. Most of the other humans, however, just did their business on themselves. Each time I saw this, I shuddered and cringed in disgust. Am I really the smartest human here?

The horses fed us once a day, if we were lucky. At least, I think it was once a day. It was hard to tell when there was no accurate way to determine if it was night or day. I spent most of my time deep in thought, or sleeping, so I had long since lost sense of time. The meal consisted of half of a piece of slightly moldy bread, as well as a few mouthfuls of water. The lack of nutrition hit me hard. For the first couple of days my stomach swelled up due to the lack of food, and by the sixth day I was losing weight quickly.

It was after the eighth day that I began to feel extremely weak. I started having small fits of dizziness, and I would sometimes black out for short periods. I needed something to eat. My stomach was constantly growling at me, threatening to start consuming itself. It wasn t all bad, however. At least my burns from the desert were slowly starting to heal.

The horses left us alone for the most part, outside of the feedings, and loading and unloading the humans. Even so, I only saw the first four horses I had met whenever we were moving. The others would only appear when it was time to unload the next batch of humans.

The two female unicorns (both of whom, I had learned through eavesdropping, were twin sisters) and the red unicorn stallion tended to just make sure that we were fed and cleaned. Other than that, they pretty much left us to our own devices. There were one or two odd instances when one of the sisters would pull a human male out of his cage and carry him off somewhere for several hours, before returning him to his cage. The human always looked exhausted afterwards, and I tried hard not to think about what was happening when they were gone. Luckily, they never showed real interest in me, or if they did, they hid it well.

The blue pegasus mare, on the other hand, seemed to take a special interest in me. Since I had first arrived, she had spent more time around me than any other human. In between feedings and the exoduses she would just rest upon the top of my cage. As she sat there, she would chat with me. The entire conversation was one-sided, but she didn t seem to care. As she talked, she would use the same tone of voice and mannerisms as humans back home would use with a cow or horse. Not only was this slightly calming, it also pretty much confirmed that the humans on this world were no more than animals to these horses.

I also didn t mind the conversations so much, as it gave me a chance to study her up close. Her coat was a lovely shade of blue, almost a mix of cyan and sky blue. It had a soft texture to it, very similar to horses back home, only softer. I had startled her when I had first reached through the bars to stroke her, but when she saw I wasn t going to hurt her, she had let me run my fingers through her coat. She seemed to enjoy the feeling immensely, because it soon became routine: she would fly down onto my cage, I would reach up and give her a quick scratch, and she would talk to me about random stuff.

She also had one of those weird tattoos on both her flanks. It appeared to be a sun, hidden partly behind several wispy clouds. I had ran my fingers over it and found that it had the same texture as the other fur around it. It appeared that the only difference between the mark and the rest of her body was the color. What the tattoo signified, or how she actually got it, I had no clue but it did look kind of cool. The way it blended perfectly into the blue fur on her flank was almost hypnotic.

Her mane and tail were a bright yellow color. They both had a kind of wind-tossed look to them, tangling and swirling around her head and shoulders. In fact, it looked like she hadn t touched a brush or comb in days. She probably didn t mess with them much, as her mane would just become messy again the next time she was flying through the air.

Her eyes were a bright violet color and appeared to glow slightly, even in the dimmest of lights. They seemed to glimmer and sparkle as she talked, a smile on her face. All things considered, she was actually very pretty, as far as talking horses went.

It was through these conversations that I learned the pegasus mare s name was Sunny Breeze, but most of her friends called her Sunny. She had been the one who had found me passed out in the desert when she was out scouting for more humans in the earlier hours of the morning, before the sun had risen. She had then carried me back to her benefactors: the red stallion and the twins.

As the days went on, I soon realized that Sunny appeared to be very taken with me, which was fine with me because she would sneak me extra pieces of bread. On rare occasions she also managed to get me small pieces of apple when no one was looking. If it wasn t for her help, or the company she provided, I would have gone crazy aboard that horrid train.

It had been around two weeks since I was brought aboard the train by Sunny when we finally reached our final destination. I was awoken from a dreamless sleep by the sounds of doors opening and closing. I was dimly aware that the floor wasn t vibrating anymore. It took me a second to realize that that meant the train had come to a stop somewhere. I sat up and wiped the sleep from my eyes with my bound hands. As I did so, the sound of multiple hooves drew nearer. Curious, I turned my head, searching for the source.

I watched as twenty or so unicorns entered the compartment. They were a mixture of the usual gang, with a few new faces mixed in. They began to open the cages, one by one, and herded the humans out. They were taking everyone. Most of the humans struggled against their bindings, but were quickly silenced by a prod from a taser stick. There was a small handful of humans, however, that went willingly.

When the unicorns finally reached my cage I was ready for them. They opened the door and I hurried out and joined the rest of the humans. I might not like how we were being treated, but I was not about to get shocked by the horses. I figured that if I behaved well, they shouldn't have a reason to hurt me, right?

As we waited for the other humans to join the herd, I stretched, groaning as my limbs cracked and popped. It felt good to be able to stand and walk again after spending two weeks stuck in that small cage. My hands were still bound, but at least my gag had been removed. Sunny had determined that I did not need it, and was convinced that I wasn t going to bite anyone. I was not about to prove her wrong.

Speaking of the mare, I thought, looking around the compartment quickly. I spied her hovering near the ceiling, eyes scanning the crowd of humans as she kept a close eye on them. Her eyes fell upon me, and a small smile touched her face before her gaze moved on.

Eventually the unicorns finally gathered all the humans into the center of the compartment. They hosed us all down one last time. I shivered as the freezing water washed over me. Shaking the water off of me, I spat out some of the liquid that had gotten into my mouth. Once the unicorns were satisfied with how we looked, they hit us with a blast of warm air from their horns, drying us instantly. Once that was over, they herded us forward, out of the compartment and into the blinding light of day.

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/ Chapter 2: Breaching Hell/-/

Bright sunlight 


	3. Chapter 3

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/ Chapter 2: Breaching Hell/-/

Bright sunlight blinded me as I stepped out of the compartment and into the harsh daylight. Raising my bound hands to cover my eyes, I blinked as they tried to readjust to the sudden change in brightness. As my vision slowly returned, I glanced around at my surroundings. I felt my jaw drop at what I saw.

We had long since left the desert behind; there was no sign of sand anywhere at all. Instead, we were now surrounded by tall, white buildings. They loomed over us like colossal stone giants. Marble walls gleamed in sunlight, dazzling the eye. In the distance, a large mountain took up most of the remaining skyline, towering over the city. It was a breathtaking sight, and I had only been there for a few seconds.

As I tore my gaze away from the white citadel before me, I suddenly became aware of the hundred or so small horses swarming around the train station, going about their lives. This world was like some sort of little kid s cartoon show brought to life, but without most of the cartoonish qualities I'd expect. The horses' coats seemed to be every color of the rainbow, but their colors seemed to fit them well, almost as if that was how it was naturally supposed to be. It still hurt my eyes, though. None of the colorful horses paid us any attention as they went about their daily tasks. Apparently humans showing up en masse was a pretty common occurrence.

As I continued to stare at the sea of multicolored horses, the red unicorn stallion turned to one of his companions behind me.

Why are all these ponies here at the station? he hissed, his blue eyes narrowing. I thought they were supposed to clear the area for us! His companion just shrugged her shoulders, then proceeded to start herding our group forward.

As we hurried through the streets, the crowd of ponies slowly spread in front of us, clearing a path. As we passed, most simply turned their noses up in disgust. They would whisper to one another as they watched us with haughty expressions. Some snickered as we passed, sticking out their hooves to trip random humans. Others even threw pieces of fruit. I noticed that the majority of the ponies taunting us wore what appeared to be very expensive-looking clothing. Not every pony did, but there were enough for it to be noticeable.

My brow furrowed in confusion as I spied a unicorn in a tuxedo watching the pack with a small smirk. Why are only some of them wearing clothing? Is it an optional thing? As I passed by another pony wearing a particularly fancy dress, another thought popped into my head. Might it have something to do with wealth? I went with that theory, seeing as the city itself seemed to be more of a high class-like environment.

Not all ponies treated us in such a deplorable manner. Some just stood to the side as we passed, shooting us looks of pity as we passed. One mare, a pale pegasus, shouted something at one of the ponies herding us, a look of anger on her face. The unicorn she insulted just snarled at her before giving the human in front of him a jab with their taser. The ponies that seemed sympathetic towards us were ones that didn t have any articles of clothing on. Some of them seemed out of place too, like they were just visiting the city.

Tearing my gaze away from another sneering face, I instead took time to try and study the city as it flashed by. Hopefully I would have a chance to escape, and I would do better if I had an inkling of where to go. My head felt like it was going to fall off my neck as I swiveled it around, trying to take in every little detail possible. Back on Earth, I had been to New York City for a high school trip with our orchestra. At the time of the trip, I had thought that the huge city was the most spectacular sight I had ever seen. I grew up in a small town, so the skyscrapers blew my mind with their sheer size. Now, however, the city I was in blew that all out of the water. It was perfect in almost every way, from the buildings, to the d cor. This white metropolis made New York City look like Detroit at its worst.

I was dimly aware of Sunny hovering nearby, giggling at me as I looked around at the city. I didn t really care however, I was too busy admiring the incredible buildings around me.

Downtown is going to be packed this time of day, one of the unicorns shouted above the noise. The red unicorn, who appeared to be the leader of the group, nodded. Glancing around, he motioned for Pearl and Rose to take the lead.

Divert them down past the palace, he growled. We ll move around and head towards the market that way. After several jabs and shocks from the tasers, we were soon hustling down one of the side streets. The humans pushed and shoved each other in the tight space, only kept moving by the threat of pain. Any human that was foolish enough to fall behind was immediately zapped by the following unicorns. Sunny continued to hover over the crowd, keeping a close eye on the humans. However, she seemed to be favoring the area around me. Someone s playing favorites, I sung in my head. I didn t know why she was so taken with me, but I was glad that she cared enough about me to want to keep an eye on me. It meant that there was at least one creature here who cared if I was alright.

After an abrupt turn, we continued down another side street, thundering along like a herd of cattle. We passed through several more side streets before we emerged into the open, sunlight streaming down upon us. As my eyes adjusted quickly, I immediately saw that we had emerged just outside of the palace. Large white walls seemed to glow with their own light, even in the noonday sun. Large ivory towers, emblazoned with gold, soared into the sky. I could even see a semi-hidden garden just around the far corner of the castle. The whole sight was magnificent.

I didn t get long to gape at the view, as the unicorns forced us onwards. We hurried along the outer perimeter of the palace s fence. Compared to the crowded streets we were previously on, the road in front of the palace was relatively empty. Only a few guards were patrolling the outer perimeter, their golden armor shining in the sunlight. The unicorns in our group kept casting nervous glances at the guards as we neared. I could see Rose muttering to herself under her breath. None of the ponies looked happy to be this close to the palace.

It s not ideal, the red stallion muttered, discreetly glaring at the guards. Let s just get to the market before I regret this decision.

It shouldn t be too difficult, Pearl said, eyes never leaving the guards. From here it s a straight shot to the marketplace. We continued along the fence line in near silence, the only sound being that of a human occasionally grunting in pain when a unicorn nudged them back into the herd. None of the ponies spoke, each keeping their heads down. Soon the main gate of the palace came into sight. It held to the same theme as the rest of the palace: big, and golden. It was also guarded by a handful of armored ponies; some on the ground, some in the air. Each of the ponies herding us grew tense as they neared the gate. The guards, for the most part, just watched us with an emotionless glare, looking for any indication that we were a threat.

We had just reached the main gate when a chorus of loud trumpets sounded, causing most of the humans to flinch. The red stallion swore under his breath, gritting his teeth in anger.

Of all the accursed luck, he growled. We had to run into her. The unicorns started to try and move the pack of humans off of the main road, out of the way of the main gates. Unfortunately, in the resulting confusion, our group was split in two. Half of the humans and unicorns moved to one side of the gate, while the other half stayed on the other side. Even in the commotion, Sunny was never more than a few feet away from me, trying to herd humans from her position in the air. As the humans jostled against one another, I was pushed forward to the front of the group. My new position gave me a clear view of the main road. The trumpets sounded again, this time closer.

Get them on their knees! Pearl hissed, her horn lighting up. The other unicorns followed suit and, as one, they pushed every human to their knees. Soon, all of us were kneeling at the edge of the road. Some of the humans didn t like the sudden force upon them, and they began to struggle against the magic. A quick zap from a prod quickly put an end to any resistance.

I just knelt there, staring at the ground, trying to ignore the immense pressure now pushing down on me. It felt like an invisible person was draped across my shoulders, holding me down. As I tried to ease some of the pressure off of my body, the main gates slowly swung open. I kept my gaze down, even as two armed ponies walked past me, their armor clanking as they marched. A shadow passed over me as something large moved silently past. Suddenly, I felt a shiver run through my body. My throat tightened, and the burning sensation returned for just a split second before fading. I suddenly felt cold, even though it was a warm summer day.

Someone is walking over my grave, I thought, shivering again. I heard a small gasp, and the sound of hooves came to a sudden stop. After several tense seconds of silence, the hoofsteps picked up again, but instead of getting softer, they were getting louder. The shadow fell over me, and I tensed slightly as a pair of large, gold clad hooves entered my vision. Oh shit. I gulped, sweat forming on my brow as I stared down at the hooves. Slowly, I raised my head and looked up at the pony in front of me. My breath caught in my throat at the sight.

She was taller than any pony I had yet seen, standing nearly six feet in height. The horn on her head added another foot to her height, easily. Her coat was a stunning white; the purest I had ever seen. Massive wings extended from her sides, her long feathers glowing softly in the sunlight. Her mane, composed of mix of blue, green, purple and pink, flowed impossibly in a non-existent breeze. A golden tiara rested on her head, glinting in the sunlight. Part of her glorious mane fell across her face, covering one of her magenta eyes. Her eye had an inner light to them, and seemed to almost radiate kindness and peace. They held intelligence too, as well as a hidden fatigue, almost as if she had seen many, many years in her lifetime. Everything about her appearance just screamed ruler to me.

Despite her gentle disposition, power seemed to flow from her. I could feel it radiating from her, almost like a static charge, the hair on my arms standing on end. The very air thrummed with her presence. I felt that, if she wanted to, she could end my life with little to no trouble. A little voice in the back of my head was whispering that she would do just that if I angered her. The very thought chilled my bones.

I m not sure when my mouth fell open, but I became aware of it when some drool fell onto my bound hands. Blinking, I pushed aside the fear growing in the back of my mind. I snapped my jaw shut, blushing at such uncouth behavior. I don t think she noticed, or if she did, she just didn t care.

Now, what do we have here? she asked, talking more to herself than anyone else. Her voice was soft and motherly, calming my nerves and creating a sense of peace in the air. It had a light, musical note to the tone, almost as if she was about to sing. She continued to stare at me for several more seconds before turning to the unicorn beside me. The red stallion tensed as her gaze fell upon him.

Are these humans headed to the market? she asked, never raising her voice. At the sound of her voice, Red seemed to bow lower, if that was even possible.

Yes, your majesty, he said, never lifting his head. If he wasn t careful, he was going to stab his horn into the ground. Sweat dripped from his brow, and his body seemed to quiver slightly. On the other side of the road, Rose and Pearl shifted on their hooves, obviously uncomfortable. The monarch hummed quietly to herself as she returned her attention to me. Her magenta eyes drifted slowly over my body, taking in every detail. I squirmed a little under her intense gaze. After several tense seconds she spoke again.

Is this one spoken for? she asked, waving a golden hoof in my direction. I flinched back as she moved, the little voice in my head telling me to make a run for it. Unfortunately, the pressure of Red s magic kept me still, otherwise I would have attempted it.

N-no, your majesty, Red replied, raising his head slightly to finally gaze up at her. Our scout found him wandering around out in the desert about two weeks ago. She rescued him, and we transported him here. Nopony has yet to claim him, nor has anypony made an offer as of yet. His black tail twitched slightly as he talked. The monarch continued to stare down at me, her gaze only intensifying. Suddenly, a spark of light flashed across her eyes, and a look of comprehension slowly spread across her face.

So, it was you who I saw struggling out in the wastelands, she whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear. I had no clue what she was talking about, so I figured she was simply thinking out loud. Slowly, she leaned down, tilting her head to the side slightly. It would seem that you have a higher purpose here, but what it is I do not truly know.

Y-your majesty? Red stammered, trying to keep his voice steady. He looked about as confused as I felt. The monarch blinked once, before leaning back and snorting softly.

Sorry, she said, still looking at me. Just the ramblings of an aging princess. Returning her gaze to Red, she smiled down at him. Her next statement caught everyone off guard. If none have shown any interest in him, then I shall be the first.

The princess of the land is interested in me? What s going on? I thought, staring up at her in amazement. Why the hell is she interested in me? Red just stood beside me, gazing up at his ruler, mouth agape.

Y-your majesty? he asked, his ear twitching. His normally steely voice sounded almost tentative. The princess just smiled down at him.

I said that I shall be the first to show an interest in him, my little pony, she repeated, her voice still calm and gentle. How much is the asking price?

We haven t had him appraised yet, Red said, swallowing heavily. He seemed to be calming down slightly, though. He must have thought the princess showing interest in me was a good sign somehow. We were hoping to have him reviewed at the marketplace today.

I see, the princess hummed, turning her gaze back to me. I guess I ll just have to make an uneducated offer then. She chewed on her lip as she sized me up again, her enchanting and power-filled eyes feeling like they were scanning my very soul. Finally, she spoke again.

How does one-and-a-quarter million bits sound? I wasn t exactly sure how much a bit was worth, but by the reaction of the unicorns in the group I d say that it was quite a lot. Sunny practically fell out of the sky. They all stared at the princess with their bottom jaws on the ground. After several seconds, Red s brain finally caught up with the situation.

One-and-a-quarter m-million b-b-bits? the poor stallion stammered out, gazing at the princess with an expression I just couldn t place. A-are you s-serious, your majesty? The princess looked down at him, a look of innocence on her face.

What, do you think that that is not enough? she asked, a small smile slowly spreading across her face. Very well then, how does two million sound? Do I smell a troll here? I was starting to like this pony a little more. The feeling of power still radiating from her still made me wary. But maybe, a stronger voice in my head reasoned, she wasn t all that bad.

Two million?! Red looked like he was going to faint. I m gonna go out on a limb here and say that he had never even imagined that amount of money before. Now it was being offered to him, for just a simple human. Even though his face was slightly pale, I could see his mind racing as he glanced between me and the princess. His cold eyes narrowed as he thought. Finally, he shook his head, clearing the cobwebs from his brain. Standing up straighter, he turned to the princess, a smirk on his face.

I do believe that you have yourself a deal, he said, his voice back to its normal tone. He then seemed to remember who he was talking to. Your majesty, he quickly added on.

It s settled then, the princess said cheerfully. Two million bits for the human. She turned her head and nodded to one of her guards. The armored unicorn stepped forward and passed a slip of paper to Red. He grabbed it in his magic, his grin growing slowly wider.

Just take that to the Royal Treasury and they ll provide you with the bits, the guard said, his voice gruff and firm. With that, he returned to his previous position behind the princess, his face still expressionless. Rose and Pearl just stared at the slip of paper in Red s grasp, their mouths still hanging open. I think that they might have been broken.

Does he happen to have a handler? the princess asked, glancing at the other stunned unicorns in the group. All of them froze instantly, their bodies tensing. The smile that had been present on Red s face vanished instantly. He looked up at the princess with a fearful expression. She didn t notice, however, as she was still looking around at the surrounding ponies.

I believe that w-would be me, your highness, Sunny finally said quietly, her voice trembling as she flapped her wings nervously. All the unicorns relaxed as she spoke up. Rose gave a sigh of relief as her sister seemed to sag slightly in place. The princess took no notice of these reactions. Instead, she just nodded up to Sunny, giving her a reassuring smile.

Very good, she said. Collar him then, if you would be so kind, and then follow me please. Turning, the princess began to head back towards the gates she had just exited minutes ago. Red s magic lifted from my back and Sunny landed softly beside me, a collar clasped in her hooves. Wait... where did she get the collar? I blinked at her, my mind trying to process where exactly the collar had come from.

It s alright boy, she cooed, obviously trying to keep me calm. Everything s gonna be just fine." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as she slipped the collar over my head. She tightened it quickly, just leaving enough room so that it didn t strangle me. It wasn t uncomfortable, but it wasn t loose enough to come off easily on its own. Clipping a leash to the collar, she gave it a gentle tug before flying after the princess. With no other choice in the matter, I rose to my feet and followed after the two mares.

As I passed through the gateway, one of the guards, a white pegasus mare with a blue mane, stepped forward. Her yellow eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed into mine. She snorted before turning towards the princess who was still walking down the path. As she turned, I caught a glimpse of three feathers on her flank. It looked like they were made of steel.

Princess, she said, calling after the retreating monarch. What about your meeting with the mayor of Manehattan? The princess turned her head to glance back at the guard, her pace never halting as she continued to head towards the palace.

Send him my sincerest apologies if you could, Captain Tempest, she called back, a small smile once again present on her face. I m afraid that I ll have to reschedule our meeting. Something important has just come up that requires my attention." Captain Tempest nodded once, her mane falling into her eyes.

It shall be done, she said, brushing aside the strands with a hoof. Turning, her wings snapped open and she took to the air. Hovering for several seconds, she suddenly shot off towards the city, a blur of gold and white against the clear blue sky. I watched her go until I felt a tug on the collar again. Turning, I followed Sunny as we trailed behind the princess.

As we neared the massive doors that led into the castle, I glanced up at the white battlements that loomed over us. Armored unicorns gazed down at the lawn, watching for any signs of danger. I felt a lump rising in my throat as the shadow of the massive palace fell upon me. I wasn t entirely sure what just happened exactly, but hopefully my luck was starting to turn around.

Hopefully...


	4. Chapter 4

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/ Chapter 3: Questions and Answers, part 1/-/

The sound of hooves and muffled footsteps were the only sounds that echoed around the large hallways of the palace. I caught a glimpse of one or two maids down a couple of the side passages, but for the most part it was just me, Sunny and the princess. We walked in silence for several minutes. The princess seemed to be deep in thought, occasionally chewing on her bottom lip as she glanced back at me. Something about me was clearly bothering her, and from the way I shivered whenever she looked at me, I d say that the feeling was mutual. Just being near this being was causing me to sweat and my heart to beat faster. I didn t like it, not one bit.

Sunny was clearly very uncomfortable, but for a different reason entirely. Her body was tense and it looked like she was trying to keep her posture perfect. I don t think she was used to being in the presence of royalty, so she didn t know exactly how to act. Her wings quivered slightly at her sides, and she looked ready to bolt. Truth be told, if she made a run for it, I would probably be right behind her.

The three of us continued in this uncomfortable silence for several more minutes until the princess suddenly stopped. Sunny wasn t paying attention and walked into her back leg. She squeaked at the impact, backpedaling wildly as a stream of apologies issued from her mouth. The monarch just looked back at Sunny, blinking as if she had only just realized that she was there.

I m sorry, my little pony, she said, smiling down at Sunny. It seems I was lost in thought. Looking back up at me, she tongued the inside of her cheek for a moment before shaking her head.

Th-th-that s quite alright, your m-majesty, Sunny stuttered, avoiding the princess eyes. Instead she seemed to become fascinated with one of the paintings on the wall: a lovely scene of the moon rising above a calm lake in the mountains.

I actually have some questions regarding this human, the princess continued, keeping her voice calm and gentle. That is, if you don t mind answering, Miss ? Sunny blinked up at the princess for several seconds before she realized that the monarch had asked her a question.

S-Sunny Breeze, your majesty, the pegasus replied quickly, her voice squeaking slightly. And I ll try my best to answer any questions you may have.

Please, call me Celestia, Ms. Breeze, the princess said, laughing softly. Sunny gawked up at Celestia, blinking stupidly at her. I think the request broke her. Princess Celestia seemed to realize this as well, as her smile grew slightly wider as she stared at Sunny, giggling at her stunned face.

Turning slowly, Celestia continued down the hallway, leaving Sunny and me behind.

You said that you are his handler, correct? she called back over her shoulder. Shaking her head, Sunny snapped herself out of her daze. Trotting quickly after the princess, she pulled me along with her. I stumbled slightly, my balance off due to my hands still being bound. Catching up with Celestia, Sunny trotted next to her.

Well, technically he doesn t exactly have a handler, she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Celestia glanced at her sideways with a raised eyebrow, causing Sunny to gulp loudly. B-but, I am the one who took care of him the most during his transportation, so I m the one that knows him best. She was extremely nervous; she was practically wilting under Celestia s gaze, even though the princess didn't show any sign of anger. She was shivering slightly as she walked, and I felt my heart go out to her. She was clearly out of her comfort zone, and out of her element, both of which I could relate to at the moment.

Taking a chance, I decided to ignore my own discomfort, and try and help her calm down. Walking up behind her, I proceeded to gently, yet firmly, bump her flank with my knee. She yelped and jumped slightly at the touch. Glancing back at me, she immediately seemed to relax as her eyes locked with mine. She smiled at me and turned to nuzzle my bound hands. I could feel and see her beginning to relax. I wasn t completely sure why my presence was enough to calm her, but at least my gamble had paid off. She was more at ease, and because of that I felt a little less stressed. My god, I m starting to care for these ponies now, aren t I?

Sunny stopped nuzzling my hands, but continued to smile up at me. I would have smiled back, but my lips were still heavily chapped from the very little water I received on the train, and I didn t want to reopen old wounds. Having completed my task, I returned my attention towards Celestia, only to find her watching us with a smile on her face. Looking back, Sunny saw this as well. Her face immediately went bright red and she ducked her head in embarrassment.

You seem to have formed quite an impressive bond with him in the two weeks you ve spent together, Celestia commented, her eyes sparkling with mirth. Sunny sputtered, her face turning even redder. Her mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out. Her brain was too busy trying to figure out what to say. Celestia giggled (yes, giggled) at Sunny s expense, her musical laugh filling the hallway we stood in.

Despite the fact that most ponies tend to believe that humans are more of an aggressive species, with good reason I might add, they tend to also have tender moments, Celestia continued, beginning to walk again. Sunny and I followed silently behind her. I have no doubt that the human here noticed you seemed overly stressed, which was obviously causing him stress as well. Glancing down at Sunny, she smiled warmly at her. You may relax in my presence, Ms. Breeze. You are not in any form of trouble. Sunny nodded, her cheeks still slightly rosy, but a small smile was now present on her face.

As they talked, I glanced around the hallway, searching for a possible escape. Alright, enough playing around. I need to find a way out of here. Looking down one of the side passages, I frowned slightly when I caught sight of a pair of guards patrolling it. The next passage held the same results. I mentally swore as I walked behind Sunny. I should have made a run for it back in the city. There s no way I can escape from the palace with all these guards here. I grumbled silently as we continued down the corridor. We reached the end of the hallway and the princess headed to the right, down yet another passageway. Sunny and I followed close behind her.

As I said earlier, I do have some questions I would like answered about this particular human, the princess said, her voice gentle as she glanced back at us. Please answer to the best of your ability, but do not worry if you don t know the answer.

Of course, your majesty, Sunny replied, her voice stronger than before.

Do you know if this human has had any previous owners? Celestia tilted her head to the side, regarding us with a curious look. It kind of reminded me of a dog, in some weird way.

There was no indication of any previous owners when we found him in the desert, Sunny said. She blinked suddenly as she apparently remembered something. Actually, there was a mark on his clothing that we couldn t identify.

And what mark was that, exactly? the princess asked.

It was a golden M sewn onto his clothing, Sunny replied. We ran it through our records, but we couldn t find any pony associated with it in any way.

A golden M ? The princess was silent for a brief moment, scratching her chin with the tip of one of her wings. Finally, she returned her attention to Sunny. Could it be possible that the mark might be associated with something in a foreign land?

It might, Sunny conceded, chewing on her lip as she glanced to the side. However, if that was the case, we have no idea how he ended up alone in the desert. We believe that if it did stand for something, it would be local, not foreign. As the two of them talked, I walked silently behind them. A golden M on my clothing? She must mean that McDonald s logo on my shirt and visor. I chuckled quietly to myself at that. Yeah, they owned me alright. The princess hummed to herself as she thought, her eyes gazing at the ceiling high above us.

Off the top of my head, I cannot think of any ponies, or herds, associated with a golden M . There s the Golden Hoof herd, but their mark is two golden hooves side by side, but other than that I do not know, she said, still looking up at the ceiling. And I do not believe that any other species own humans. After the Changeling invasion, we know that humans don t like being in close proximity to Changelings, disguised or otherwise. As for the griffons, they tend to eat humans on occasion, but there aren t any griffon nests anywhere near the desert. My heart jumped at that news. Griffons? They have griffons here? And they eat humans?!

Note to self: avoid griffons at all costs! When I tuned back into the conversation, the two mares had already moved on to the next topic.

Since you don t know if he does, or does not, have a previous owner you wouldn t happen to know if he has a name, would you? Celestia asked, her gaze fixing itself back upon me and Sunny.

We aren t entirely sure, Sunny began, but he had a weird tag attached to his clothing that bore the same golden M , as well as the name Max . I raised my eyebrows at that. She must be talking about my name tag. Apparently, they write in English here as well. What are the odds? I blinked as I suddenly thought of something. Wait, if she knew my name this entire time, why did she never once call me by it?

I ve been avoiding using that name around him, just in case his next owner decides they want to call him something else, Sunny said to the princess. I resisted the urge to facepalm. Uncanny timing as usual. Celestia studied me closely for several seconds, her magenta eyes slowly scanning my body as she processed the news. Smiling, she nodded once before looking back at Sunny.

Max it is then, she proclaimed happily. I think it suits him rather well, don t you?

Really? Cause everyone back home kept telling me that I looked like a Tom or a Blake. Hell, I even had a guy insist that my name was Sam.

Your majesty? Sunny asked, tilting her head to the side, confused.

I like it. It s a good, strong name, and it also means the greatest in Ancient Equestrian, Celestia said, a knowing smirk adorning her face. Rather fitting for a creature who survived alone in the desert for an unknown period of time. It was one day, lady. Don t make a mountain out of a molehill. Although, I was thrown off by the Ancient Equestrian comment. You see, Max meant the greatest in Latin as well. I wonder just how many similarities our two cultures have.

Max. Max. Max. Max. The princess trotted along happily, rolling my name around in her mouth for a little bit. Sunny just walked beside the monarch, trying to hold back her laughter. I, on the other hand, had had enough. Glancing ahead of us, I spied a side passage fast approaching. Deciding that it was time to ditch this party and make a run for it, I reached up with my bound hands and began to fiddle with my collar. I managed to get the leash off of the collar when the two mares were distracted. Careful not to alert them to my intent, I walked quietly along behind them until we were level with the passage. Taking a deep breath, I turned and shot off down the passage, silently cheering that my plan had worked. Unfortunately, I started celebrating too soon.

I had made it a dozen or so steps when I suddenly found myself surrounded by a golden energy. I let out a loud yelp when as I was immediately lifted into the air. I grumbled to myself as I slowly floated down the hall, back the way I came. As I floated, I slowly began to spin until I found myself upside down. I shot a glare at the princess, whose horn was glowing as she used her magic. She had a smile on her face, her eyes twinkling with mirth. Sunny just stood there, her eyes darting back and forth between me and the princess, a nervous look on her face.

And where do you think you re going? Celestia asked, chuckling softly as I floated in the air. We were practically nose to nose, and I could smell her breath. It was, oddly enough, not unpleasant, like a mixture of vanilla and bananas.

And how old is this little troublemaker? she asked, using her magic to make me spin in small circles as she looked at Sunny.

W-we re not entirely sure of that either, Sunny said, trying hard not to laugh at my predicament. She seemed relieved that the princess didn t get upset about my escape attempt. I, however, was starting to get nauseous as I continued to spin through the air. By the look of his body, as well as other indicators, we estimated that he is getting on in his years, but he has shown no signs of tiring or joint pain. He also has shown that he has an abundance of energy as well, so we can t effectively pinpoint his age. Abundance of energy ? How d you figure that one out? I thought as the princess returned me to an upright position. I ve been in a cage that was two sizes too small for the past two weeks!

If you had to hazard a guess, how old would you say he is? Celestia asked, slowly lowering me back to my feet. Sunny sighed as she looked me up and down. She licked her lips as she thought, her ears twitching slightly.

I d guess he is about nine years old, maybe ten, she finally said, earning a nod from the princess. I shot her an incredulous look. Nine? Lady, I m twenty years old, thank you very much! I thought you worked with humans for a living! I blinked as a sudden sinking feeling entered the pit of my stomach. What is the average lifespan of a human here? Will that affect me in any way?

Does he have any illnesses or afflictions that could indicate his age more accurately? Celestia asked, frowning slightly.

We haven t found anything yet, Sunny said, a smile touching her lips slightly as she gazed over at me lovingly. He currently has a clean bill of health. He s perfectly fine.

No tumors? No cataracts? The princess s eyebrows rose as she spoke, disbelief evident in her voice. No arthritis?

Nope, he is one of the healthiest humans I have ever seen, aside from the sunburns from the desert, Sunny said, a small hint of pride in her voice. Healthy? I worked at McDonald s and got free crew meals. I sat on my ass on my couch and played video games all night. The healthiest person I am not. Silence fell again as the princess thought up more questions. I hoped that the questioning wouldn t take much longer; I was in a rather foul mood because of my failed 'escape attempt', if you could even call it that. Also, as much as I enjoyed being talked about like I wasn t actually there, my feet were beginning to hurt walking on the hard marble floors. As we passed by a window that had a beautiful view of the white city below, I saw that there was a roof several meters below the window ledge. I half contemplated what they would do if I flung myself through the window. They both had wings, but would they react in time to stop me from scrambling across the rooftop to freedom? As I thought about it some more, I decided that it wasn t worth the risk. I grudgingly accepted that I would have to put up with this bullshit for a little while longer.

The princess blinked suddenly, a spark flashing in her eyes as a mischievous smile slowly spread across her face. In a voice that could almost be mistaken for sultry, the princess leaned down until she was eye to eye with Sunny. How is his muscle structure? Sunny s face went incredibly red as she began to cough, choking on some of her own spit that she inhaled. Her wings locked up instantly, spreading from her sides to stand stiffly at attention. I snorted loudly at this, causing the princess to look at me curiously. She didn t look at me long before returning her attention to Sunny with a look of faux concern before a small smile playing across her face.

My dear, is everything okay? Celestia asked, rubbing Sunny s back as the smaller mare coughed princess is a troll! I didn t know how she knew about that entire conversation, but it took all of my willpower to keep a straight face. Sunny, on the other hand, looked half embarrassed and half terrified as she continued to try and clear her airway. She continued sputtering for several more seconds as she stumbled along.

W-well, he is c-certainly more m-muscular than most other humans we've f-found, she choked out, finally getting her voice back. Her face was still red, but she seemed to regain control over her wings as she rose shakily into the air. Once airborne, she seemed to calm down immensely. I blinked as I registered what she had just said. But... I barely have any muscles to begin with, I thought as I glanced down at my naked frame. Maybe my legs, but that was because I walked a lot back home, but not enough to be noticeable by any means. As I silently examined my body for whatever muscle she was talking about, Celestia spoke up.

While I have you nice and flustered, she said, the smirk still on her face, has he been neutered yet? Looking up at the princess, then back down at my junk, I wrinkled my face at the stupidity of the question. It s all just hanging out there for the whole world to see. I m pretty sure you could answer that one for yourself.

No, he hasn t been neutered yet, Sunny answered, shaking her head. She hovered beside the princess, her wings flapping at a languid pace. And my huevos and I plan on keeping it that way, thank you very much!

But it s still an option, if you would like, she continued, shooting the princess a questioning look. I stumbled slightly, a panicked look flashing across my face. Aw, HELL no! NO! Nononononononononono! NOOOOOOO! Suddenly, that jump through the window was sounding like a much better option. I was of the mindset that I would like to keep everything I was born with, no matter what. The Universe wouldn t be so cruel as to deny me that, would it?

No, that will be quite unnecessary, Celestia said, shaking her head quickly. I breathed an audible sigh of relief, my pounding heart slowly returning to normal. The two mares glanced back at me, a surprised look on their faces. I stared back at them, a blank expression on my face as I tilted my head to the side, confused at the sudden attention. When I realized what I had done, I felt my heart flutter slightly. I realized that this could be a perfect opportunity to try and communicate! I was just beginning to think of what would work best when a second voice echoed through my head, warning me against it.

I frowned slightly, confused at that sudden thought. Why the hell wouldn t I try to let them know I could understand them? The memory of feeling the power radiating from the princess when we first met flashed across my mind, causing me to shiver slightly.

Just imagine what she could do to you if she wanted to, the second, smaller voice whispered. She could blast you into oblivion, and no one here would bat an eye at it. As I stood there, arguing silently with myself, the two mares continued to stare back at me for several more seconds before returning to their conversation. I groaned softly as they turned their attention away from me, and we continued walking down the hall. Great, there goes that chance out the window.

Better safe than sorry, though. I ll work on escaping later.

"Has he been branded at all? The princess' voice snapped me back to reality. Glancing up, I wrinkled my face at her again, rolling my eyes. That is another question you could answer yourself if you only looked.

No, he hasn t been marked, Sunny replied. The princess s face hardened at the word marked , her expression souring. Sunny noticed this, and her ears splayed backwards. Smiling nervously at the princess, she chuckled lightly. I take it by your reaction that you do not want him branded, your majesty? Celestia immediately shook her head, quickly putting my mind at ease.

No. Her voice took on an icy tone for the first time since they had started talking. I can not, for the life of me, understand the obsession with burning one s cutie mark into the flesh of one s human. Despite my joy for finding out that I would not have to be put through that horrific ordeal, I still frowned slightly at the strange mark? What s a cutie mark? My eyes drifted to Sunny s flank, which was hovering perfectly at eye level for me, and the odd picture located on it. Looking over at the princess, I saw that she too had a symbol on her ass. Celestia s was a massive sun, standing out perfectly against her white coat. Could those tattoos be these cutie marks ? Are they artificial, or a naturally occurring thing? And what could they possibly stand for? The amount of questions I had could fill a large paperback book.

Just one more quick question before I take Max here off your hooves. I glanced up and realized that we were nearing the end of the hallway. A massive pair of double doors faced us, two guards positioned on either side, stony faced and motionless. It appeared that we had reached the end of the line.

In all of your observations of this human, Celestia began, staring at Sunny with an intense, calculating gaze, would you say that he is well behaved and not a threat to anypony?

For the most part, Sunny replied, meeting the princess s gaze with her own. Her body was starting to tense up again, her wings quivering nervously as she flapped. Heh, you should talk to my mother. The stories she could tell

Please elaborate, the princess said, not unkindly. Her gaze never faltered as she continued to study Sunny s expression closely. Sunny closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening her eyes again, she stared at a point just above the princess s head as she began to speak.

Well, we first noticed that he behaved rather differently than most humans when we first found him. Usually, when they wander around lost, humans tend to walk in circles. However, the tracks around him indicated that he was walking in a relatively straight line, with a couple of loopbacks. Also, while most humans will throw themselves against the bars of their cages The princess s ear twitched. he seemed content to just sit there and go along for the ride.

There is also the case of biting. While most humans will attempt to bite their handlers when they are scared or threatened, Max here never showed any signs of aggression. He was hesitant at some points, but he never lashed out at anypony while we were working with him.

You didn t really give me much of a chance to, but I digress.

All-in-all, I have to say that he is, without a doubt, one of the most docile humans I have ever had the privilege of working with. Sunny was out of breath from her little speech, and she panted slightly as she looked at the princess, waiting for her reaction.

Celestia just stood there, nodding her head slightly as she gazed off into the distance, clearly deep in thought. Every so often, her wings twitched by her sides. The long pause seemed to make Sunny nervous, and she bit her lip again while she waited. I just looked at her, eyebrows raised. Seriously, what is with all the lip biting? Sunny s wings seemed to tense up more, and she slowly floated down to the floor. I don t know why she s so tense. It s not like the princess s decision affects her as much as it does me.

Finally, after several long moments, the princess s face broke out into a large smile.

I thank you for giving me such an honest answer, she said, looking down at Sunny with such warmth and care that she couldn t help but smile as well, her body relaxing noticeably. It kind of reminded me of a mother praising a child for a job well done. And I also thank you for answering my questions truthfully and to the best of your abilities. Now, without further ado, I shall take Max off of your hooves. The smile immediately left Sunny s face and she glanced down at the leash in her hooves, fumbling with it slightly. She looked back up and reluctantly held the leash out for the princess. As Celestia took the leash in her magic (I still couldn t get enough of that, as long as it wasn t not being used on me. Magic. Real life magic!) Sunny spoke very quietly.

Please make sure to treat him well. Celestia smiled gently, nodding her head slightly.

Don t worry, my little pony. I know he will be treated with great care. The princess then looked at her guards who immediately moved to open the double doors. Up until that point, I had seriously thought that they might be statues; they hadn t moved an inch since we arrived. As Celestia turned to leave, Sunny called after her.

We ask that you contact us with information about where he will be staying. We like to check up on our humans and make sure that they are being treated properly. The princess glanced back at Sunny and smiled once last time.

I ll be sure to send you the address the minute he gets settled in. With that, she turned and walked through the open doors, tugging gently on the leash so I would follow. I headed through the doors myself and the guards began to close them behind us. I chanced a quick look behind me at Sunny Breeze. Just before the doors closed completely, I caught a glimpse of her face.

She was smiling sadly, her violet eyes gazing right at me. As I watched, a single tear rolled down her cheek and fell to the floor.

Then the doors closed, and she was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

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/ Chapter 4: Special Delivery, First Class/-/

Tearing my gaze from the doors that Sunny just disappeared behind, I looked around. The room we had entered was enormous, with the ceiling towering high above us. You could probably fit my entire house in here, and there would still be plenty of room to spare. Large marble pillars, as thick as trees, lined the room, acting as structural supports for the ceiling high above. Banners hung from the ceiling and clung to the pillars. Some were red and depicted a large golden sun, while others were dark blue and emblazoned with a crescent moon. Large windows adorned the sides of the room, allowing massive amounts of sunlight to stream in. Glancing out one of the windows, I saw that it appeared to be getting late; the sun hung low in the sky.

I was so entranced by the room that I failed to realize that the princess was moving. I was quickly reminded by a gentle tug on the collar and a soft chuckle.

Come along, little one. We need to get you cleaned up a little before we introduce you to your new owner, Celestia said, giving the leash another gentle tug, prompting me to stumble along after her. I scrunched up my face at her words.

New owner? I thought she bought me for herself? This new development wasn t sitting well with me. If I m not for the princess, who is she sending me to? I frowned slightly before shaking my head.

I don t know why I m fretting over this, I thought as the little voice in my head gave a silent cheer. I m just going to be breaking free when I get there. As I mused silently to myself, we continued across the room. The princess clip-clopped along while I pat-a-patted behind her. As we walked, she hummed a little tune to herself, her head weaving gently side to side. Her mane and tail continued to flow eerily behind her, unaffected by the movement of her head and body.

Nearing the far side of the room, my eyes happened to land upon a large, golden throne. It was stood nearly twice as tall as Celestia; golden steps, covered in red velvet carpeting that stretched back to the end of the hall, which led up to a large cushion. There were small fountains on either side of the throne, with gently murmuring water, creating a calming effect. Two white, unicorn guards, clad in golden armor bearing the mark of the sun, stood on either side of the empty throne, eyeing us (mostly me) as we walked past. I swallowed nervously, trying not to meet their eyes.

Skirting around the ceremonial chair, the princess headed towards a small door hidden in the shadow of the throne. Opening it with her hoof, she ushered me through with a gentle push with her magic before following and closing the door behind her with a soft snap.

The hallway I found myself in was smaller than the ones before it. If I reached my hands above my head, my fingertips would probably touch the ceiling. The walls were narrower, barely enough room for Celestia and me to stand side by side. The whole place had a different feel from the rest of the palace, as if we had entered a different building. The whole thing felt extremely homey. The floors were carpeted, something I noticed with relief. The hard marble floors were a nice touch, and while the ponies with their hooves probably didn t mind it, they were killer on bare feet.

The hallway was lit by dim torches, the flames flickering inside of frosted glass containers that were attached to the walls. Swirling patterns adorned the glass, the light dancing hypnotically across the rippled surface. I could feel myself slowly relaxing in this place. It felt safe; it felt like home.

This must be the living quarters of the palace, I thought as I looked around the hallway with a calm expression. I suppressed a yawn as I waited for Sunny Breeze to take the lead

My eyes widened and my heart rate immediately shot up, the calm that the new environment brought me completely destroyed by the simple thought.

Sunny s not here.

My body tensed up as my heart pounded in my chest. Sunny wasn t with me anymore. The one constant in this weird new life, the one creature who actually cared for me, was no longer present. I was now completely alone with a mare that I barely knew, and my only real friend for the past two weeks was gone. My breaths came in quick gasps as my pupils dilated, my eyes darting back and forth.

I should have tried harder to escape earlier. The little voice in my head was screaming at me, cursing me for my stupidity. I was alone; I was defenseless. When I was with Sunny, I had felt confident and safe. In that short amount of time I had been with her, I had learned to trust her. I knew from our many one-sided conversations that she would never hurt me. Celestia, however, I wasn t too sure about.

She seemed nice at first glance, and the way she talked with Sunny and composed herself kind of reminded me of a mother. But she also radiated a huge amount of power, and was high enough up there that she could do whatever she wanted. Of course, she hadn t given me any reason to distrust her yet, but that could change quickly. What if the kindness was just a ruse, and she was really a cruel bitch who enjoyed tormenting other creatures? What if she was abusive? What if she

Come on, little one, Celestia murmured softly, snapping me out of my impending panic attack. She nudged me gently with her nose, a soft smile on her face as she looked into my panicking eyes, concerning radiating from her gaze. Everything's alright. You re safe here. Her voice held the same tone one would use when trying not to spook a frightened animal. I felt a shiver run up my back as her nose touched my bare skin, but I slowly began to relax again.

I may not have known if I could trust her yet, but that simple act showed me that she actually cared somewhat for me, and didn t want me to be scared. Shoving aside my fears and doubts, I decided to go out on a limb and lend her some of my trust. I m pretty sure I had an abundant supply, given that I wasn t just throwing it about freely. Plus, I didn t think running right this instant would be a good thing. She could always catch me with her magic. Plus, she could probably run faster than me, and she did have a foot-long spear coming out of her forehead. I would rather like to avoid becoming a human-on-a-stick. I decided to give this situation a chance before freaking out completely.

Swallowing my nervousness, I turned and followed her down the hall, the carpet muffling my footsteps, as well as her hooves. Glancing back at the door leading to the throne room, I let one last trickle of doubt drift through my mind. I hope this doesn t come back to bite me in the ass.

Despite the fact that my hands were bound, I was completely naked, and a collar was placed snugly around my neck, I was still able to appreciate the majesty of the living quarters.

As we walked down the hallway, we passed by many doors. Most of them were shut, closed tight to prevent snooping, while others were left open just a crack. These doors were few and far between, but when we happened to pass one, I couldn t help but sneak a peek inside. What I saw told of luxury.

I saw a study. A desk covered with scrolls and quills, books and logs. Pictures of ponies decorated the wall. I d have to assume that they meant something to the person er, pony, that owned the study. I eyed the piles of scrolls with some interest. I wonder if I could get my hands on one of those. I quickly tried heading into the room, but was stopped by a firm, but gentle tug on the leash.

Ah, ah, ah, Celestia cooed, laughter dancing in her eyes. No running off again. As the princess led me further down the hallway, I glanced back at the study door, mentally noting where it was in case I found myself free anytime soon.

I can see that we re going to have to keep an eye on you, Celestia said as we walked. You re quite the little explorer, aren t you? I ignored her, instead choosing to return to studying the passing rooms.

The next door I looked into was a large library filled with a massive amount of books. It was, if my quick look was anything to go by, a two-story tall room with nothing but books. The walls were lined with bookshelves, each one filled with big books, small books, colorful books, and books that seemed to glow faintly. A large fireplace adorned one of the walls, a fire crackling merrily away, inviting anyone who saw it to come and bask in its comfort. A yellow unicorn mare in a maid s outfit was dusting one of the shelves. She gave us a quick glance as we passed the door, before returning to her work.

My gaze slowly drifted to the other side of the hall. Through an open door I could see a bathroom. Actually, it would probably be more appropriate to call it a spa, because the room was loaded! It had a massive tub, large enough for a horse to bathe in and still have room. I smirked as I cast a quick glance at the princess before returning to the bathroom. A small waterfall ran down the far wall, cascading gently into a small spring. Two hot tubs rested on either side of the waterfall. They appeared to have lights in them, as the water in one had a red hue, while its sister had a blue one.

There was a smaller pool in one of the corners, chunks of ice floating in the water as mist wafted into the air. In another corner was a small platform that looked like it was meant for a musician to play music for the occupants. Candles were everywhere, as well as soaps, shampoos, and scented oils. As I passed by the room, I shook my head and laughed silently to myself. Yep, definitely a spa. It seems that someone is a bit spoiled, I thought, eyeing the princess in amusement.

The next couple of doors were all closed, denying me any sightseeing. Sighing, I leaned slightly and glanced ahead of the princess. I felt a shiver run up my spine as I spied a door that was different from the rest. It was bigger than the others, and made of a dark wood that appeared almost black. A large crescent moon was etched onto the door, silver trimming running along the edges. As we passed by it, I could hear what sounded like grumbling coming for the other side, as well as movement. Whoever it was, they were either really tired, or just getting up. Goosebumps broke out across my skin as we neared the door, and wouldn't leave until we were several feet past it.

Several doors later, we passed by what seemed to be a lounge. As we neared, I caught sight of movement from with the room, and I caught sight of another life form. Unfortunately, he caught sight of us as well.

Auntie Celestia! the new pony called out as we walked pass the open door. The sound of his voice sent caused my hair to stand on end and made my toes curl. In front of me, I could see Celestia tense up slightly. Oh, I can tell I m not going to like this, I thought as the princess turned to greet the pony. He was a white unicorn with a golden mane, and appeared to have a compass rose upon his ass. An unknown sixth sense of mine was screaming at me that he was probably going to be a tough pony to get along with. That, and the fact that he had a smug ass grin on his face.

Blueblood, how are you this fine evening? Celestia asked, smiling thinly. It was clear by her expression that she did not want to be talking to this guy.

Oh great, she doesn t like him either. That can t be a good sign.

"'How am I this fine evening'? I had a horrible day! Day court was terrible! I had to sit there for nearly fifteen minutes listening to some old hag go on about needing funding for some orphanage or something. It was terribly boring and I couldn t believe that the guards actually let her in the palace. She should have been thrown out the minute she set hoof on the grounds. And another thing

The new pony, Blueblood, continued to prattle on about his day. As he whined and complained about completely stupid and menial things, I chanced a glance at Celestia. Her eye seemed to have developed a nasty twitch.

...and for lunch I asked the chefs to prepare me a proper meal, not that disgusting slop that they usually make. But not only did they take over twenty minutes to make something, but it wasn t of a high enough quality. What do they think I am, a peasant? I can only eat foods that are of the cream of the crop!

Strange. Whatever the princess seems to have, it must be contagious because now my eye began to twitch as well. What in the name of hell was this guy's problem? In all my life, I have never met anyone who was such a pompous, arrogant asshole. I didn t think I could take much more of his ego-centrism without screaming. Luckily, Celestia seemed to think the same thing.

Nephew, as much as I would love to hear about the hardships of your day, I m currently in the middle of something. Draping a large wing over me, she pulled me close to her side. Whether she was shielding me, or using me as a shield, I didn t know, but the action seemed to work as Blueblood shut up immediately. However, he got a hungry, predatory look in his eyes as he stared at me.

Why do I suddenly feel like a piece of meat? His gaze slowly went down my entire body before heading back up to my face. I shivered slightly as he licked his lips. I would say that he was undressing me with his eyes, but as I was already naked, that wasn t necessary. I could hear the little voice in my head laughing s side are you on anyways, you bastard? The more he eyed me, the more uncomfortable I became.

Oh, Auntie Celestia. Where did you find this fine specimen? he asked, drool practically dripping from his mouth. This wouldn t happen to be for me, would it? As a lecherous smile slowly spread across his face, I huddled down deeper into the feathery blanket that was Celestia s wing.

Find my happy place! Find my happy place! Find my happy place! As I shivered against Celestia s sides, she tightened her wings around me.

No, Blueblood. He is actually meant for my protege, Twilight Sparkle, as a kind of gift for her recent achievement. Blueblood s expression soured at this, a dark look passing over his face. I, on the other hand, was dancing inside.

Thank Jesus! I don t know who Twilight Sparkle is, but she has to be better than this creep!

Such a pity, Blueblood said, sounding slightly annoyed. He really is a fine looking human. Blueblood s eyes did another once-over on my body, and, again, he licked his lips longingly.

An adult! I need an adult! As though hearing my silent pleas, Celestia slowly began to inch her way around Blueblood, keeping me held tight in her wings.

He is not for you, Blueblood, she said coldly, never taking her eyes off of him. I m very lenient when it comes to you and your humans, but this one is off limits. Do you hear me? He is not yours! With that, the princess spun around, taking me with her, and began to walk very quickly down the hallway. As we walked, I could still feel Blueblood s eyes upon me. I shivered again, trying to get rid of the awful feeling. I guess I was right: I didn t like that at all.

I m going to need a long, cold shower after that

The rest of our journey went without incident. Reaching the last door in the hall, I looked up and saw that it was a large, golden door bearing the etching of a shining sun. Opening the door, Celestia slipped us both inside, keeping her wing wrapped around me until the door was closed tight behind us.

Still trying to forget the image of Blueblood looking at me lustily, I was just dimly aware of my surroundings. The room was large and circular in shape. There was a desk next to a fireplace, scrolls and books scattered over its surface. A large, four-poster bed rested underneath a picture of a blood red sunrise. A medium-sized bookshelf stood against the wall, packed full of tomes of different sizes. A large, golden cage rested on the top of it. The cage s door was open and it was empty except for several gold and red feathers that rested on the bottom of the cage. A pair of double doors lead out to a large balcony, which held a telescope. Cushions littered the floor, and upon entering the room, the princess immediately flung herself upon on them, leaving me standing with the leash dangling against my body, still attached to my collar.

I swear, if it weren t for the fact that he s family, I d I d Celestia muttered under her breath as she removed her crown and levitated it over to one of the tables by the bed. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths, all the while talking to herself.

Love and tolerance Tia, love and tolerance. As she continued to murmur gently to herself, I eyed the desk, and more importantly, the scrolls upon said desk. Slowly, as to not alert Celestia, I began to make my way towards the desk. Picking up one of the scrolls, I glanced back at her before unrolling it and glancing at it s contents.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned a great lesson about family, which, if you think about it, is the first group of friends you ever meet. Turns out that when you're with folks you care about, you don't have to do much to make that time memorable. Even the simplest of activities can take on a whole lotta meanin'! And you'll find that you'll remember the who long after you've forgotten the what.

Your humble subject,  
Applejack

I finished reading the 'letter' and snorted once before tossing it back onto the desk. I began rooting through the desk, searching for a blank piece of paper. Picking up another scroll, I unrolled it, eyeing the contents.

To: Princess Celestia From: Battlemage, Major Ebony Rose Re: Energy Source

It has come to my attention that there appears to be something buried underneath the Lonely Mountain that is emitting a high magical field. The object began to flare up several days ago. We have successfully pinpointed the surface location of the object, but request the use of humans for digging to the source

Not bothering to finish the message, I tossed it back onto the pile before returning to my search. Grabbing another scroll, I unrolled it and a smile immediately spread across my face when I saw that it was blank. I had just started to look for something to write with when the paper was ripped from my grasp. I yelped as I was suddenly lifted up into the air and away from the desk.

I can t take my eyes off of you, can I? Celestia said as I floated over to her. I growled slightly as I was denied what I had been trying to get my hands on.

Relax, she said as she placed me upon one of the cushions. There is no need to get upset. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as she tried to comfort me. Celestia just looked at me for several seconds, seemingly to just study my face with a curious expression.

I know you can t understand me, she began, a soft smile on her lips. I grunted once, shifting slightly on the cushion. Lady, if you only knew. but I would like to apologize for what just occurred. Prince Blueblood, my insufferable nephew, tends to be a little self-centered. He believes that everything is for his pleasure, including humans.

Yeah, he kinda gave me that impression already. The princess sighed heavily and massaged her temples with her hooves. Looking up at the ceiling, she began to remove the gold chest plate from around her neck before speaking,

If it weren t for the fact that he is family, I wouldn t be so willing to turn a blind eye. What he does to humans is just so... wrong. It s... it s... well, none of them complain yet, right?" She chuckled darkly at her unamusing joke. I shifted nervously on the cushion.

Why is she telling me all of this? Does she really think I can t understand her, or does she have some kind of clue? Glancing back at the desk, I sighed. If only I still had that bloody paper. Turning back to the princess, I saw that she was looking at me intently, her eyes studying me closely with interest.

Strange, she muttered, tilting her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. It s almost like you can no, that s impossible. Her words trailed off as she continued to stare at me. Slowly, she rose to her hooves and approached me, her eyes never leaving mine. The intensity of her gaze was intimidating, and I could practically feel myself beginning to sweat.

I have lived a long life. More so than any other pony can possibly claim. I have watched as hundreds upon thousands of humans have passed by the palace, heading to the market. I have watched as they were sold, auctioned, bartered, and haggled for. Not a single one has ever managed to catch my eye before, but then you show up. She slowly began to circle me, talking softly. It was more like she was thinking out loud than actually talking to me.

This is similar to a shark circling a seal, the voice in my head chimed in. I swallowed thickly as I slowly began to regret trusting her.

There s something special about you... she began, before rubbing the tip of her nose against my shoulder as she passed. A tingling sensation ran through my body at the soft touch; it felt like an electric current had passed from her to me. She snorted, moving her head away from me. I could tell by her face that she had felt something as well.

Hm, interesting. I wasn t expecting that, she said, staring at me with her head cocked to the side. You felt it too, didn t you? She moved to stand in front of me, her wings fluttering gently at her sides. That shiver that went down your spine when we first met? That coldness that bit into your skin when we touched? You have a certain energy about you, one that I cannot place. It s like nothing I have ever felt before, yet so familiar. It drew me to you out by the main gate. Her face drew closer to mine, her muzzle practically touching my nose.

I first felt the energy several weeks ago out in the desert. I thought that perhaps the Changelings were up to something, but when I scried the area I found only you. You, alone and lost in the desert, struggling to survive. I m not sure what gods or fates may have brought you here to me, but this cannot just be coincidence. I wasn t entirely sure I understood what she was muttering under her breath, but I was decided that I should probably take advantage of our close proximity.

Now s my chance to try something risky, I thought, eyeing the princess cautiously. I needed to act quickly, but with caution. I didn t want her to think I was trying to attack her. The little voice in my head was screaming that what I was about to do was a bad idea.

Oh, who am I kidding? she snorted, laughing to herself as she leaned back. You can t understand a word I m saying! Gritting my teeth, I made up my mind.

It s now or never!

I brought up my hands and began to try and mime something that could be understood. I mimed writing on something, trying to get my point across. My frustration grew at the confused look on her face. I repeated the action, a growl escaping my mouth. At that, Celestia reared back, shocked.

YES! I silently cheered, already patting myself on the back. We re making progress now

I m sorry. I didn t mean to startle you, my little human, she said, hurriedly backing further away from me.

Or she takes it the wrong way, I thought, my eyes widening slightly in horror. Not good, not good, not good. Where s paper when you need it?! Before I could even stand up, Celestia wrapped a bell that rested on her desk in her magic and gave it a loud ring. Instantly three servants came out of the woodwork. A pegasus, a unicorn, and a pony that had neither a horn or wings. Where the hell were they hiding?

Please take this human and have him cleaned up immediately. He is a gift to my student, and must be made presentable before we send him off, the princess said, earning a bow from all three.

Presentable? I hadn t really stopped to think about it, but now that it was pointed out, I realized something quite horrifying. I reeked. Badly. Damn, how did I not notice this sooner? I smell like something that crawled into a sewer and died. I was actually impressed that the princess could even be in the same room as me, let alone as close as she had been, without retching.

Wait, no I m getting distracted! I still have a chance to

Before I could act, a blinding flash of white light filled my senses, blinding me. When I could finally see again, I found myself in the large spa/bathing room that I saw earlier.

communicate with her. Shit. Well, there goes that well thought out plan out the window. And just like that, I was back at square one. I stood there, staring dumbly at the space where the princess s head had been a split second earlier. My one chance at freedom and understanding, and it had just been ripped away from me. Needless to say, I was more depressed than a zombie at a blonde convention. How hard is it to show a fucking pony that I m intelligent?!

As I sat there, sulking, I barely noticed as the unicorn mare gently removed my collar. She left my hands tied, though. Lifting me into the air with her magic, she deposited me into a large pool of water. I sneezed loudly when water got in my nose, causing one of the mares, the pegasus, to giggle. They tentatively began to scrub me with the various soaps and shampoos that were scattered around the perimeter of the pool of water. They used large brushes, as well as their hooves, to scrub the dirt off of my flesh.

The pegasus hovered by my shoulders, massaging my scalp with her hooves as she gently worked the suds into my hair. The other two worked on the rest of my body, starting at my shoulders and slowly working their way down. I silently allowed them to work, wincing slightly whenever they hit a tender spot or were too rough. I was dimly aware that they were talking to each other as they worked. I couldn t overhear what was being said, however, as I was too busy trying to figure out my next move.

I did notice, however, when one of the mares got a little too bold for my liking. A soapy hoof on a rather intimate area of my body immediately snapped me back to reality. Automatically, I jerked away from the contact, causing all of them to gasp at my sudden movement.

Oops, he didn t seem to like that, the offending mare, the pony with no horn or wings said, hoof still outstretched.

He mustn t have had much interaction of that sort before, the unicorn said, her hooves still on my back. Maybe he wasn t a breeding human?

What? With his good looks and how healthy he is? They had to be using him for breeding. Anything else is just a waste! the pegasus said, a smirk slowly spreading across her face as her wings twitched by her side. I felt a blush slowly spread across my face.

Why the hell do they find me so damn attractive? We re two completely different species! I prayed that it was an 'isn t-my-dog-the-cutest-one-you ve-ever-seen' kind of attraction, and not... well, hopefully it was the first way.

Maybe he s young enough that they weren t able to use him yet, the unicorn said, continuing to wash my back, her hooves working the soap in with little circling motions.

I don t know, the pegasus said as she washed her hooves off. He looks old enough to have been in use for several years. I tried in vain to sink deeper into the pool. I was not enjoying this conversation at all.

Well, it doesn t really matter, the normal pony said as she pulled herself out of the pool and shook of the excess water in her coat. Turning to look down at me, she smiled. Alright, I d say that he s pretty much clean now. Just get him out of the water, dry him off, and polish his teeth and he should be good to go! The unicorn nodded, her horn lighting up as she stepped off my back. I found myself trapped once again in her magical grasp. She lifted me out of the water and I simply hung limply in the air, dripping water onto the tiled floor, as she levitated me over to a towel waiting on the floor. Placing me on the towel gingerly, the glow around her horn grew brighter. My entire body instantly felt like it had been plunged into a furnace; I was dry in a manner of seconds.

After drying me off, the unicorn slowly advanced towards me, a small brush hovering by her head. I felt something grasp my jaw and force it open. I struggled slightly against the force, but I was ineffective against it. She moved the brush closer to my now exposed teeth and I realized what she was up to. Realizing that I was no immediate danger unless she tried to make me deep-throat the toothbrush, I relaxed. She began to gently, yet firmly, brush my teeth.

The feeling, it was indescribable. Now, I wasn t that big into dental health back home. I brushed my teeth once a day, that was it. I never flossed, and I rarely used mouthwash. I went to the dentist every six months, and had to experience the horror of braces for nearly five years. But after two weeks of not being able to brush my teeth, the feeling of the bristles scrubbing away the buildup of plaque was heavenly.

After several minutes of this bliss, the brush was removed from my mouth and the unicorn smiled to herself.

There we go. All done! She turned to the others and nodded her head as the brush vanished into thin air. He s all set and ready to go. They both nodded to her, and the pegasus flew out of the room and back down the hall. I had a second to wonder where she went before I was surrounded again by a blinding flash of white light.

As spots danced in front of my eyes, I realized I was back in the princess s room. She was still there, of course. Resting on her bed with her legs tucked underneath her body, she smiled at me as I slowly regained my senses. After my vision stopped dancing, I glanced around the room.

There was a new addition to the room since had last been in it. A large crate with small holes cut in the sides. Oh I ve got a bad feeling about this. Glancing back towards the princess, I noticed that she seemed to be putting the finishing touches to a letter. Floating the quill back to her desk, she rolled up the scroll, stood from the bed, and approached us, tucking the letter under her wing as she did so.

Alright. Everything has been prepared and the details have been taken care of, Celestia said, nodding to the three ponies with me. Let s get him nice and comfortable for his journey. I was immediately lifted and unceremoniously dropped into the open crate. They appeared to be trying to be gentle, as I wasn t shoved in head first this time, and there were blankets lining the bottom of the crate.

The lid was secured before I could react and near darkness fell over me. I could hear movement from outside, but I could barely see anything through the holes. As I sat in the gloom, I could feel my heart rate slowly beginning to rise. I m not claustrophobic, but I was getting very uncomfortable with being shoved into small spaces.

blankets I can understand, but why the crate? Wouldn t it be easier to get a cage your majesty? I had trouble hearing the conversation going on outside, each voice muffled to the point where I could just barely make out the words spoken.

No. I simply despise that some of my ponies see fit to put humans into those metal contraptions like they are some kind of criminal. A crate, while not exactly the best traveling condition, will do fine for what I have planned. Even muffled, I could still hear the coldness in the princess s voice at the mention of cages.

Nice to know that she actually does care, I thought half sarcastically, half relieved. I did not want to be placed in one of those things for any reason. If I didn t see another cage for as long as I lived, it would be too soon.

"Should I send for Captain Tempest, your majesty? We can have her take him down to the transportation center, another voice piped up. The pegasus mare, if I remember correctly.

That won t be necessary. I would like this particular package to arrive as soon as possible. A special delivery, if you will, and what better mode of transportation than a first class trip via magic!

...what?

So, with everything taken care of, I shall send him off immediately. I have to go meet with my sister so that I can lower the sun for her moon.

...WHAT? What the fuck is she talking about? She thinks that she needs to lower the sun? How stupid can you

A blinding green light shone through the many holes, creating an eerie effect in the darkness of the crate. I half expect a little gray alien to appear in the crate with me. I was suddenly gripped by a strong pulling and pushing sensation. My body, as well as the crate, seemed to be forced through a tight space. It was a horrible sensation; being squeezed through a hole that was too small for my body, in complete darkness, isn t as fun as you would think. I was unable to move, breathe, or even scream. My body seemed to become impossibly small, but impossibly large at the same time. I felt like I was going to toss my cookies right then and there.

Suddenly, there was another flash of green, followed by what sounded like a large burp? The crate immediately returned to normal and fell through the air before hitting a hard surface, causing me to hit my head on one of the sides as it tumbled. I groaned as I felt my head begin to pound, my brain trying to escape from the confines of my skull. The sensation didn t help my nausea. That entire trip was not going to be added to my list of fun things to do, I ll tell you that much. Once was enough for me, and even that might have been too much.

As I lay there, trying to keep myself from emptying what little contents my stomach had all over myself, I became aware of movement and voices outside of the crate.

Dang, Spike, what the hay did you eat? a raspy voice asked with a laugh.

It s from Princess Celestia! She even sent a letter with it, another voice said, sounding excited. I wonder what she would be sending me this late in the day though

Well, let s crack this bad boy open and find out! the first voice said from somewhere above me. The lid became wrapped in a pink aura.

Welp Ci risiamo, I thought, bracing myself.

The lid was ripped off, and light shone in, blinding me. Maybe I should invest in some sunglasses soon.

I heard several gasps above me and I was lifted up and out of the crate, and into the unknown.


	6. Chapter 6

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/ Chapter 5: Crepuscolo e Incubi Eterni/-/

Poke.

Poke.

Poke.

You know, you d think I d probably be used to this kinda thing by now, I mused silently to myself as I dangled upside down in the air, a purple unicorn prodding me gently in the side while I spun in slow circles. Her violet eyes studied me curiously, her head tilted to the side in a cute manner as she watched me spin.

Poke.

Poke.

Poke.

Nearby, a light blue pegasus hovered in the air, her wings flapping lazily. Her mane and tail were a gorgeous rainbow hue, each color blending into the next. Her eyes watched me with suspicion, her front legs crossed in front of her chest. You know, the range of flexibility these ponies have never ceases to amaze me.

Poke.

Poke.

Poke.

A small purple and green lizard stared up at me, its mouth agape. Its eyes were as wide as saucers, a look of wonder on its face. Or was it fear? Confusion? I couldn t tell. I didn t have much time to study his expression before I spun around again and my back was to it.

Poke.

Poke.

Poke.

Okay...this is getting old rather quickly. I would swat at the little, annoying purple pony, but my hands were still bound by rope. I was surprised that my wrists weren t rubbed raw yet, with how long I had the ropes around my wrists. Instead, I took to glaring at the unicorn every time I spun in her direction. Unfortunately, it didn t seem to work.

Poke.

Poke.

Poke.

This process went on for a few more seconds; the unicorn poking me, the pegasus glaring at me in suspicion, and the purple lizard just standing there, gaping up at me. I was forced to hang there, spinning slowly, and take it.

Finally, the poking stopped, and the unicorn put her hoof back down on the ground. She leaned back, tilting her head the other way as she continued to stare up at me. The pegasus blew part of her rainbow mane out of her eyes before zipping over to her friend s side. At least, I m assuming they were friends.

Why the buck would Princess Celestia send you a human? she asked, her eyes still boring into me, although it wasn t as icy as before.

"I don t know, the unicorn said, her face scrunching up in confusion. If the situation was different, I might actually find it a little cute. Maybe her letter will explain more. Her horn glowed brighter as a scroll with a golden seal rose up in front of her. With me still dangling upside down like a pi ata, she broke the seal, unrolled the parchment and began to read.

As her eyes darted across the page, taking in what was written there, I took the time to study my new environment. The new room I found myself in was completely circular in shape, although some parts of the walls jutted out creating corners and edges. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all made out of wood. Some parts of the walls had what appeared to be bookshelves carved out of them. There were also regular bookshelves placed in one part of the room. Hundreds of books filled every nook and cranny. It reminded me of a library.

A staircase ran along the wall, heading up to a second floor balcony that had more bookshelves carved into the walls. There were also doors positioned all along the balcony as well, indicating that there were more rooms that were hidden from view. Another staircase ascended further up, meaning that there were even more floors above what I could see. The place looked weird, almost like the entire structure was carved out of the same piece of wood. As I spun around again, I caught sight of a tree branch outside of one of the window. Only, it wasn t pointing towards the window, but away from it. It was almost as if

My eyes widened as realization finally hit me. I glanced around quickly again, confirming my suspicions. This entire place is inside of a tree! We re in a carved-out tree! The tree in question must have been huge; the entire place was about the same size as an average house back home.

Either that, or it was bigger on the inside.

I was broken out of my stunned stupor by the sound of the unicorn clearing her throat. My back was currently towards her, so I couldn t see her expression, but I could still hear her when she spoke.

Apparently, this human caught Princess Celestia s eye, and she thought that it would make a fine gift for me. She said to think of it as There was a slight pause, followed by a rustling noise. As I spun to look at her, I saw that she was looking back at the letter. ..to think of it as a belated gift for my ascension to the position of Princess. I shot her an incredulous look before my body turned again and she was lost from view. This annoying pony, who had just spent the last fifteen minutes poking me in the side was a princess?! You have got to be shitting me! What do they do, give out the position to anyone they like?

His name, as indicated by the handler she purchased him from, is Max, although I may change that if I want. They don t know his actual age, but he appears to be in fine health, she continued, her eyes slowly moving down the scroll as she took in each detail. As I turned to face the pegasus, I saw that she was floating lazily on her back, a bored look on her face. He hasn t shown any sign of aggression, and has actually shown signs of compassion towards his handler. She went to put the letter down, but stopped when something else on it caught her eye.

Oh, it also says that he may be somewhat of an escape artist, she said. This caused the pegasus to perk up slightly. Flipping around in the air, she hovered over to the unicorn and looked over her shoulder.

What do you mean by that? she asked.

Apparently he tried to escape from the princess several times, the unicorn replied.

That s kinda funny, actually, the pegasus said, a smirk spreading across her face. It disappeared, however, when she shot me an inquisitive look. Why does the princess think you need a human, though?

It says here that she believes it will test my skills at dealing with stress, as well as less intelligent creatures.

So, the human is supposed to be some kind of test? The pegasus seemed to have said some sort of keyword, for the unicorn instantly tensed up. Her pupils seemed to shrink in size and her ears stood up straight. Her right eye seemed to develop a nasty twitch and a look of pure apprehension began to spread across her face. Upon seeing this, the pegasus backpedaled quickly. Relax, Twilight. I doubt it s something as serious as that. The princess wouldn t do that to you, she said, waving her hooves frantically in front of her. The unicorn closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and seemed to calm down, if only slightly. She still seemed kind of tense, however. She must hold Princess Celestia s opinion in high regards.

You re right, Rainbow, the newly named Twilight said, her voice shaking slightly. She took another deep breath, breathing out slowly. She did say he was just a gift, after all.

So, this thing is going to be living with us now? the lizard asked, looking up at Twilight in fear. My eye twitched slightly when he called me a thing . Great, I thought, rolling my eyes when my back was to the trio. Not only can lizard-boy talk, but he apparently doesn t like humans that much.

It looks that way, Spike, Twilight replied. Spike glanced between me and Twilight, horrified. Oh, don t look like that, Spike, Twilight chided softly after seeing his fearful expression. It s not like he s going to eat you. Despite Twilight s best attempts to ease the situation, Spike continued to look fearfully at me. Twilight sighed heavily.

I'll tell you what, she said as she nuzzled the side of Spike s head. You run into the kitchen and grab yourself a bowl of ice cream from the freezer, then head up to bed. I ll be right behind you shortly. The lizard s face lit up instantly and he scampered across the room towards a door that I assumed led to the kitchen. He was pretty eager to get out of the same room as me.

I watched him go with a little sadness in my heart. Not because he didn t like me; I couldn't care less what the little talking lizard thought about me. No, it was the nuzzle that Twilight had given to him before he left. It had reminded me of the way Sunny had nuzzled my head back at the palace. It had only been a couple of hours ago, but it felt like a lifetime right now.

Spike emerged from the other room, a small bowl clasped in his claws. Quickly hurrying up the stairs, he shot one last glance down at me. I rotated enough to look him directly in the eye before he disappeared from view. All I could see in his eyes, was fear.

Well, at least I won t have to worry about him, I mused, slowly turning so my back was once more towards the stairs. If he was scared of me, it was likely that he would try to avoid me as much as possible. After the lizard I mean Spike had disappeared up the stairs, the two mares began to talk again. The pegasus, revealed to be named Rainbow, flew up to me and began to circle with me, matching my speed. Her eyes roamed my body as she took in everything.

Yes, I do mean everything. I could feel her eyes lingering on a certain part of my body for a bit longer than totally necessary. A small blush slowly spread across her face, her eyes narrowing slightly as a smirk formed on her face.

You know, she said slowly, her eyes still locked on her target. The princess knows how much you tend to overwork yourself, and she must know how much stress you ve been under lately. Maybe she sent him as a way to help you relieve some of that stress, if you know what I mean, she grinned, turning to the unicorn and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Twilight s face light up bright red, with a pair of lavender wings popping out from her sides. My eyebrows shot up at that, a blush of my own on my face.

Both wings and a horn? She s just like Celestia, I thought as my body slowly rotated enough to give me a better look. Apparently she is a princess. Twilight sputtered, staring up at Rainbow with horror and embarrassment.

R-Rainbow Dash! Th-that... that s just... n-no! Just no she stammered, her eyes wide, her blush intensifying. Rainbow Dash just hovered in the air, laughing her ass off. How she was still in the air while laughing like that mystified me. I had to give her props though, it was pretty funny, even if it was initially at my own expense. If this was under any other circumstances, I would probably get along well with this perverted prankster, but as it was, I really didn t like the position I was in.

Geez, Twilight, Rainbow gasped, finally getting her laughter under control. That was too easy! Before Twilight could respond, the pegasus zipped over to a window. Opening it, she waved to Twilight as she zoomed off into the growing dark, shouting back over her shoulder, Okay, Twi. It s been fun, but I m really exhausted from today s adventure, and I have to get up early tomorrow for weather duty, so I m gonna go catch some z s! See ya later! With that, she was gone in a flash of rainbow, leaving just me and Twilight to ourselves.

Silence filled the room as both of us just stared at each other. Both of our faces were red; hers from embarrassment, mine from both embarrassment and from the blood slowly rushing to my head as I hung there, upside down. Our staring match finally ended when Twilight yawned, and I spun around again.

"Ugh, Dash was right. Dealing with basilisks is tiring work. I should really head to bed as well. Looking me over one last time, she slowly began to lower me to the floor. Let s get you settled in first for right now, and I ll deal with this tomorrow. Released from her magic, I collapsed unceremoniously onto the ground. As I sat up, I became aware that Twilight had taken a hold of the leash attached to my collar. "Let s find a place to tie you up for the night, she said to me, trying to stifle another yawn. I did nothing but sit there, unwilling to move. It really didn t matter to me what she did, or where she put me; I already had a plan.

It doesn t matter where you stick me, the first chance I get I m taking this collar off and making a run for it. No point in sticking around here longer than I have to.

Oh, but first, let s get your new collar on! My body tensed at her words, my heart skipping a beat.

New... collar? I watched as Twilight shifted around in the crate for a second before pulling out a collar. I blinked in surprise. I didn t even know that was in there.

The first collar was immediately removed from around my neck with a flash of magic, only to be replaced by a new, more comfortable collar. Unlike the first one that Sunny had put on me, which was nothing more than metal and leather, this new one was made of a sturdy plastic material that had a comfortable fleece lining. The plastic part was the same color as Twilight s coat, maybe a bit darker. It had a golden tag attached to it, but I couldn t read what was etched onto the surface.

I didn t really care, however; a collar s a collar either way. Once Twilight went to bed, it was coming off and I was running for it.

Twilight latched the leash onto the new collar and smiled, satisfied with her work.

There, that looks lovely, she said as she began to lead me towards one of the nearby doors. As it opened, I saw what looked like a flight of stairs descending into the dark depths of the earth.

Great, she s shoving me into the basement, I thought, trying to suppress a snort of annoyance.

We headed down the steps and I found myself in another circular room, this one filled with odd machines, boxes of books and papers, and other odd knick-knacks. A tarp covered something large along the far wall, dust slowly collecting on the blue surface. There were no windows down here; the only light was coming from a flickering bulb hanging from the center of the ceiling. There was what appeared to be a closet carved into the wall, filled with various cleaning supplies. The whole place felt cramped.

Leading me to a clearing on the floor, Twilight hooked my leash onto the wall. Pulling some dusty blankets out of a nearby box, she shook them out before arranging them on the floor near me. I sneezed several times as the dust cloud floated in front of me. When she finished, she turned to look at me. Her eyes fell upon my bound hands and a small frown flashed across her face. Screwing up her face in concentration, her horn began to glow brightly. There was a flash of light, and the ropes around my wrists fell to the floor. I just stared down at my now free arms, flexing my fingers. They had been bound since I was first picked up in the desert. They had been on so long that it now felt weird to finally have my arms free again.

Satisfied with her work, Twilight headed back up the stairs, talking to herself as she walked.

That should be good enough for now. We ll take care of everything else tomorrow. Yawning, she reached the top of the stairs, turned off the light, and closed the door behind her as she left, plunging me into total darkness.

I stood there, rubbing my wrists, unable to see. Much to my discomfort, it seemed my wrists didn t get away unscathed. They were sore and felt raw. Pain flared up whenever my hand ran over a particularly tender spot. I continued to massage my wrists as I waited there in the dark for my eyes to adjust. I'll give them a little bit to fall asleep before I make my escape.

After waiting for what felt like twenty minutes, I finally moved. Reaching up to my neck, I gingerly felt around the collar, searching for the latch. My fingers found nothing but smooth plastic. The was no latch anywhere on the collar. I ran my hands all along the collar for a second and third time, searching for some way to remove it. There was nothing there. How the hell did she get it on me? I thought as I tugged fruitlessly at the collar. It was too small to slip up over my head, and there was no buckle to unclasp.

I m beginning to hate magic! I snarled in disgust, pulling on the collar with all my might. It didn't budge and all I managed to do was dig the plastic into the back of my neck. Giving up on getting the collar off, I instead turned my attention to the leash. Running my hand around the collar again, I found where the leash and the collar met. Fiddling around with my fingers, I attempted to remove the leash from the collar itself. However, there was nothing there for me to play with; the leash appeared to be magically connected to the collar.

Groaning, I then moved my hand up the leash, following the rope to where it was attached to the wall. If the collar wouldn t come off, and the leash couldn t be removed from the collar, then I would just have to take it all with me. My hand eventually hit the wall and I froze.

Th-this can t be happening. The leash seemed to blend flawlessly into the wall of the basement. There was no latch, nail or screw it was attached to. Hell, there wasn t even a knot to untie. It was like the leash was originally part of the wall itself.

This can t be happening! Panic began to grip me as I realized with a sinking feeling that I was stuck. There was no way for me to get free. If I couldn t get the collar or leash off, there was no way that I could make an escape. I was now stuck here, in this basement, inside of this bloody tree, with a goddamn talking pony. There was no way I was leaving without Twilight s help.

I groaned and slammed my back against the wall. Sliding to the floor, I rested my head on my knees, wrapping my arms around my legs. I just couldn t take it anymore, and I broke down and cried.

Alone, in the darkness of the basement, I slowly cried myself to sleep.

I was back home, on Earth. I was back home, safe and sound in my house. No ponies or collars or leashes or cages or magic. Everything was as it should be; normal and mundane. I was happy; I was content.

Surrounded by my friends and family in my basement, I smiled and laughed as we told jokes and stories to each other. We enjoyed each others' company as we ate and drank, not a care in the world.

Nothing could possibly ruin this moment, I thought as I raised a plastic cup to my mouth, a large smile on my face. I had just taken a sip when there came a knocking on the front door. Placing the cup onto the coffee table, I stood from the couch and walked up the stairs to the door. I opened it, a smile on my face as I prepared to greet whoever was behind it. I blinked in surprise, however, when I saw that no one was there.

Only the howling Dark.

With a wordless howl, the Darkness burst through the doorway, tearing at my clothes and limbs, grabbing my arms and legs as it attempted to pull me out of my home, my safe haven. I struggled desperately, grabbing the door frame as I fought for my life. I heard my friends screams and shouts as they rushed to my aid. Grabbing me, they attempted to pull me back into the safety of the house.

The Darkness didn t like this turn of events.

A piercing scream rent the air as the Darkness lashed out, striking my friends down. It immediately set upon them, tearing their skin off as one would do to clothing. Their blood curdling screams filled my ears as I watched in horror. The Darkness continued to claw at their bodies, tearing them to pieces before my very eyes.

Not satisfied with simply tearing them limb from limb, the Darkness continued to manipulate my friend s bodies. Slowly, it began to piece them back together, only they didn t look remotely human anymore.

They were being reassembled as ponies! I cried in terror as I watched them being transformed into those gruesome things; there was nothing I could do to help.

The Darkness finally released them, but the damage was already done. My once human friends were now ponies. Their bodies looked demonic, skinless and bloody. Bones jutted from their bodies at odd angles. Blood oozed from their sightless eyes, red streaks spreading down their cheeks. Turning towards me, they glared at me with a hungry look, hatred on their faces. As they slowly advanced towards me, so too did the Darkness.

I tried to get to my feet and run, but my legs were not responding. I was frozen in place, almost as if I had been turned to stone. Unable to run, unable to defend myself, I simply stood there and wept. Crouching down, the demonic ponies launched themselves at me, howling like wolves. I screamed as their teeth sunk into my flesh. I fell backwards into the waiting ocean of Darkness.

I couldn t move, couldn t see, couldn t breathe. I was trapped in the Darkness, surrounded by the screams of thousands of tortured souls. I was dying, and there was nothing I, nor anyone else, could do about it.

As my life slowly left my body, a voice whispered in my ear. It sounded tired and weak, as if it had lived a great many years.

Please help them

I lurched awake, breathing heavily, sweat dripping down my face. Sitting up quickly, I tossed the dusty blankets off of me, my eyes darting around the room. It was still dark, but I could just make out the surrounding objects.

I was still in Twilight s cluttered basement. There was no Darkness, no tortured souls, no ponies. Okay, no demonic ponies. It was just a nightmare.

I swallowed, running my hand though my medium-length hair, trying to calm my thundering heart. Wiping sweat from my brow, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. As I sat there in the dark, the sound of hooves reached my ears. They grew louder, and the basement door was flung open, light cascading down upon me. Shielding my eyes with my hand, I squinted up towards the door, cursing whoever it was that brought the light. Twilight appeared, humming happily to herself as she trotted down the stairs. Reaching the bottom, she hurried over to me, a smile plastered on her face. Great, she s one of those people. Fucking early birds

Good morning, Max! Did you sleep well? she asked, her horn lighting up as she removed the leash from the wall. It came out of the wall with a soft slurping noise, as if the wall itself was made out of a liquid.

Ready for some breakfast? she asked, her voice still annoyingly chipper. I lowered my head and just sat there, my eyes closed tight. Unlike "Ms. Happy Pants" here, I was not a morning person. I detested mornings with a fiery passion. I preferred the nighttime. The stars, the cool gentle caress of a nighttime breeze, the fireflies floating by lazily. Nighttime was the best.

I groaned as Twilight started to tug on the leash, trying to convince me to move. She wanted me to start my day; I just wanted her to leave so I could go back to sleep. Unfortunately, it didn t look like that was going to be an option.

The tugging persisted until I finally stood up. My eyes still closed tight, fighting off the barrage of light coming from the open basement door. I followed Twilight up the stairs, using her tugs on the leash to guide me along. I stumbled several times, but was able to get up the stairs without falling flat on my face.

I didn t open my eyes again until we were in the kitchen. Squinting out of one eye, I glanced around the room. Spike was already sitting at the table, a large bowl of cereal in front of him. When I entered, he looked over at me with a fearful expression on his face. I ignored him and the table completely. Instead, I made my way to a corner and collapsed into it, my back wedged into the corner.

I had just started to drift off once more when I was interrupted by a light tapping on the side of my leg. Growling softly, I cracked open an eye and glanced down. A bowl of diced apples floated beside me, encased in a pink aura. Every couple of seconds it would bump against my leg. I stared at it for a moment, not having the motivation to reach out a grab it. The tapping increased in both tempo and force, as apparently Twilight became more and more frustrated. I chanced a quick glance over in her direction and saw her eating her own breakfast, looking at me with an annoyed expression on her face.

Eventually, a loud growl emanated from my stomach, causing both Twilight and Spike to flinch. With that, I reach out and snatched the bowl out of her magic. I slowly began to eat, not really tasting the apples as my mind was still hazy in my half-asleep state. As my jaw worked on auto-pilot, I stared blankly into space, trying to get my brain working. With my escape attempt last night foiled by the goddamn magic collar and leash, I was having to rework my plans. Hopefully there would be more chances to escape later on today.

I froze, a piece of apple halfway to my mouth, my face scrunched up slightly in confusion. Why the hell am I so hellbent on escaping? Shouldn t I be working on showing them I m intelligent?

Because, whispered the voice in the back of my head, you don t know what they d do to you if they found out what you are. They might just deem it in everyone s best interest to have you killed.

Please, I thought, popping another slice of apple into my mouth. If the government got a hold of something unknown, especially a possible alien, they would do everything in their power to protect and study it. They would want to keep it alive! If I offer to help them, they ll probably help me as well. That s how it works.

Maybe back home, the voice countered. But in case you haven t noticed yet, we aren t exactly on Earth anymore. We don t know what these ponies do to the unknown.

They seem fairly nice, I argued weakly, chewing slowly. This seemed to make the voice laugh.

Remember those two weeks of hell?

I sat there, chewing my food as I silently argued with myself. The more I tried to push for revealing myself, the more my inner voice countered. When it finally mentioned that the best way they could possibly study me efficiently was via a lobotomy, I decided that I should probably play stupid a little while longer.

As I continued eating, I became dimly aware of Twilight talking to Spike.

So, I was thinking about taking him around and showing him to our friends. Dash has already seen him, but the others left before he arrived.

Do you think that s a good idea? Spike asked, shoving a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. You don t know how he s going to act in public. He might freak out around everypony.

Nonsense, Spike, Twilight said, waving a hoof in the air. The princess wouldn t have sent him to me if he was dangerous.

Alright, Spike grumbled, shooting me quick glance. He swallowed his mouthful of food as he continued to stare at me. I just ignored him. But I don t have to come, do I?

You don t have to if you don't want to, Twilight said, nuzzling the lizard, a wing draped over his shoulder. He visibly relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.

Thanks, Twi. I don t want to be around it more than I have to. I flinched slightly, stopping mid-bite to glare at the lizard. I m not an it or a thing. Sighing, I returned my attention to the bowl of apple slices in my grasp, now only half listening to the conversation. I knew that Spike was scared of me. For whatever reason, I didn t know, and didn t particularly care, but maybe I could use that to my advantage. In the event that I tried something, I doubt he would be much trouble. That means that I just need to escape Twilight and I will be in the clear. I didn t know where I would go if I got free, but anywhere was probably better than here.

I ll have to stop by the human store and pick up some supplies as well. He ll be needing a bed, some food, some health care items, and maybe even some toys to play with. I nearly choke on a piece of apple at that. Toys? What the hell kind of toys could there possibly be for a human? A ball? Frisbee? Maybe a feather on a string?!

As I sat there, coughing and sputtering, Twilight and Spike glanced over at me with curious expressions. Once I recovered, I glared at them with a look that said What? . They both returned to their breakfasts, but not before Twilight shot me one last look, this one with a trace of concern in it.

Silence fell over the kitchen as we continued to eat. Twilight finished her breakfast and moved the dishes to the sink. Pulling my now empty bowl out of my hands, she placed it with her dishes before turning back to Spike, who was still eating.

Okay, Spike. You re in charge around the library while I m gone. Keep everything clean and tidy and I ll have a special surprise for you later. Spike s eyes lit up like diamonds, and his tail began to wag. Snapping a quick salute, he immediately scarfed down the rest of his food, jumped down from the table, threw his bowl into the sink, and ran out of the kitchen. Twilight giggled to herself, her hoof pressed against her muzzle as she watched him. I just watched with a bored expression on my face. Why do I get the feeling I might not be the only pet here? I mused as I watched Spike rush past me.

A gentle tug on the leash drew my attention back to Twilight. She smiled down at me, a little bit of nervousness showing through.

Alright, she said, tugging on the leash again in an attempt to get me to stand. Let s go introduce you to the rest of the gang. Sighing to myself, I slowly rose to my feet and stretched, my back cracking as I reached upwards. My fingertips brushed the ceiling. Even though ponies ran this place, it was still human-friendly, and for that I was thankful. I don t think my back would survive long if I had to crouch all the time.

Sighing again, I followed Twilight into the main room. She quickly gathered up a bag of coins and a long list of items. Depositing both into what looked like a pair of saddlebags, she strapped said bags across her back and headed for the door. A tug on the leash prompted me to follow after her. Glancing back behind me, I spied a clock hanging on the far wall. The face informed me that it was only 7:30 in the morning.

I closed my eyes and groaned softly. I hated mornings. I could already tell this was going to be a long day. Reluctantly, I turned and followed Twilight out of her home, and into the blinding morning light.


	7. Chapter 7

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/ Chapter 6: Welcome to Ponyville/-/

She lives in a library. Her home a tree is actually a library. We were standing just outside of Twilight s home. She was quickly reading through her list she had brought with her, trying to figure out what to do first. I was busying studying the sign above the door that read Golden Oaks Library .

I tilted my head to the side slightly, never taking my eyes off of the sign. This mare either really likes books, or was so poor that she had to live in a public building. With her being a princess, I d most likely go with the first option.

Alright, Twilight finally said, rolling up the scroll and storing it in her saddlebags. Let s head out! With a tug on the leash, she began to make her way off into town.

And what a town it was. Colorful houses everywhere, each one with some crazy design. There was a bowling alley with large pins and bowling balls decorating the outside. This building made my head hurt. How could a race of ponies with no fingers possibly bowl?

There was a shop that was shaped like a purple and yellow checkered jester s hat. The sign above the door clearly labeled it as a joke shop. How fitting, actually. It was like this world was one giant pun.

There was even a store that was called the Quills and Sofas shop that sold, surprisingly enough, sofas and quills! Seriously? Who thought up that combo for a shop? Those two things aren t even related to each other in the slightest!

After we passed by a building that resembled a large gingerbread house, I gave up on trying to figure this town out. Instead I just concentrated on the ground, following behind Twilight as she weaved her way through the small crowd of ponies. Most of them didn t even spare us a passing glance, and the ones who did simply waved at Twilight and kept going about their business.

I just need to make a quick stop at the bookstore before we do anything else, Twilight said to herself. I glanced up and saw that we were headed towards a store whose sign was a book hanging from its spine. I tried not to roll my eyes.

Why the hell does she need to go to a bookstore? She lives in a library for Christ s sake! Of course I couldn t voice my opinion, so I was forced to follow her as she headed up to the door. Pushing the door open with her hoof, she quickly slipped in with me following close behind.

It was a dimly lit store; just enough light to see by, but not enough to be obnoxious. The store itself smelled of books. Beside me Twilight inhaled deeply, a small smile on her face. I knew how she felt. I loved the smell of books as well.

Slowly making our way through the rows of bookshelves, we headed towards the back of the store. Twilight browsed through the shelves, stopping every now and then if a certain book caught her eye. I simply glanced around the room. As the shelves were designed for ponies, they were only about four feet tall, seeing as the average height of a pony, after researching the subject, is around three and a half feet. This meant that I could easily look over the top of the shelves with no trouble at all.

Finally reaching the back, Twilight approached the brown-coated pony behind the counter. He looked up and smiled at her, ignoring me completely. I guess ponies aren t as strict on their no pets allowed rule.

Good morning, Miss Sparkle. How are you on this fine day? the stallion asked, closing the book he had been reading.

Good morning, Barnes. I m doing quite well actually, all things considered, Twilight replied, returning the smile.

Yes, I heard about the problem with the basilisk. Is everypony alright? Barnes asked, concern showing on his face. Twilight simply giggled and waved her hoof in the air.

Oh yes, everypony is just fine. The only injury we had was Applejack, and that was just a sprained ankle from when she tripped over the creature s tail. Barnes visibly relaxed at the news.

Oh good, I d hate to think of any of you girls getting hurt dealing with that horrid beast.

It was no trouble at all, Barnes, Twilight said, shaking her head, smile still on her face. We were simply doing our job. As they continued making small talk, I studied the stallion before me. His coat was light brown, almost tan, and his mane was a darker shade of brown. He had neither a horn, nor wings, so I guessed he was just a normal pony. A pair of glasses rested on his nose, framing his dark blue eyes. There was a picture of a stack of books on his ass.

Heh his name is Barnes and he works in a bookstore, I snickered to myself. All he needs is a partner whose name is

So Barnes, how s your brother Noble doing? I haven t seen him running the store in a while. I think I m going to cry.

Eventually the two of them seemed to get tired of talk, as Barnes finally leaned across the counter towards Twilight.

Now, Miss Sparkle, I know you didn t come in here just to talk to an old stallion. What brings you into my humble shop?

Oh stop it Barnes, you aren t that old! Twilight said, fishing around in her saddlebags with a hoof. As for why I m here, there is a book I am looking for that doesn t appear to be in my library, and I was hoping you had it. Barnes leaned back in surprise.

A book that Twilight Sparkle doesn t have?! Deary me, I never thought I d see the day! he said in mock surprise. What exactly is the name of this elusive book? Twilight pulled out her scroll and glanced at the contents.

It s Your Human and You, by Dr. Mac Guffin.

Ah, looking for some tips on owning your own human are we? Barnes eyes lit up instantly and he finally glanced in my direction. How long have you had this fine specimen?

I received him last night as a sort of gift from Princess Celestia. I ve never had a human before, and don t know much about them, so I was hoping to find a book that could point me in the right direction. Twilight rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. Barnes just chuckled at this.

Well, I do believe that I may have some copies in the back, he said, turning and heading towards a door just behind the counter. One moment please. With that he disappeared behind the door, leaving me and Twilight by ourselves. We sat in silence as sounds of shuffling came from the backroom. Twilight s eyes flicked up to mine, and she smiled nervously. I simply cocked my head to the side, my face expressionless.

Finally Barnes returned, carrying a large book in his mouth. Placing it gently on the counter, he pushed it towards Twilight with a hoof.

There you are, he said, pushing his glasses back up his nose. It was a bit tricky to find. Nopony has asked for it in a long time. The book was enormous; easily the size of a dictionary. The cover was midnight black, with silver trim running around the borders of the book. On the front cover there was a white outline of a human being. Above that was the title Your Human and You written in gold, cursive writing.

This isn t a guide book. It s a tome! Twilight simply glanced over the cover before nodding her head.

This looks about right. How much do I owe you? She pulled the bag of coins out of her saddlebags, looking at Barnes expectantly. Rubbing his chin with his hoof, Barnes thought for a moment, calculating numbers in his head.

Hmmm, let s see. This isn t a rare book like you usually enjoy, however not many ponies are asking for it. I only have three copies left, so... Looking at Twilight, he chewed on the inside of his cheek for several seconds. Finally he nodded his head smiling.

For you, it ll be fifty bits. Counting out the correct number of gold coins, Twilight slid them over the counter. Barnes stowed the bits in a drawer on the other side of the counter as Twilight took the book in her magic.

Thanks Barnes, it was a pleasure doing business with you! Twilight began to make her way towards the front of the store, her nose already buried in her new book.

Any time, Miss Sparkle. You are always welcome here! Waving over her shoulder at Barnes, Twilight proceeded to leave the store, pulling me behind her.

I was fairly impressed. Twilight was able to navigate her way through the crowded streets without hitting another pony, while her new book hovered inches from her face. It was like watching texters back home when they walked down the street, their eyes glued to their phones.

With her eyes glued to the pages, Twilight read at an abnormally fast pace. I couldn t tell if she was skimming, or if she was indeed reading each word. She was getting something from it, however. She had only had the thing for five minutes and she had already learned enough from the book to determine our next stop of the day.

After all, it says here that since humans don t have a lot of hair covering their bodies, they tend to get colder at lower temperatures faster than ponies would. So we ll nip that in the bud right away and pay my good friend Rarity a visit! I couldn t tell if she was talking to me or the book.

After a few more minutes of silent reading and walking, Twilight snapped the book closed and slid it under her wing. Making her way through the crowd, she headed towards a large building at the end of the street.

It looked like someone had based a building on a carousel ride. It was a tall building, at least three stories high, and colored with blues and purples of every hue. Large windows adorned the front of the building, showcasing pony mannequins with a variety of dresses covering them. As we neared the door, I noticed a small sign hanging over the door. Narrowing my eyes, I attempted to make out what it said. Finally getting close enough to read it, I groaned softly and rolled my eyes.

The Carousel Boutique. The puns here are going to kill me. Twilight didn t seem to notice my actions, as she just continued up to the door and knocked. There was a brief moment of silence following her knock before we heard movement on the other side.

Just a minute, a sing-song voice called out. More silence followed by the sound of hooves. The door was then surrounded by a light blue aura and swung open.

Standing on the other side was a very white, and very pristine, unicorn mare. Her indigo mane cascaded down her neck, curling and twisting in an almost impossible manner. Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked at Twilight.

Twilight darling, what brings you to my store this fine day? she said, hugging Twilight tightly.

Hello Rarity, Twilight said, returning the hug. I was actually hoping you could help me with a little problem. Rarity let go of Twilight and cocked her head.

Certainly dear, I d be more than happy to help. Whatever is the matter?

I need some clothes made for my human here, Twilight said, waving her hoof at me. Rarity looked at me as if she was only just now noticing that I was standing there. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly. She stayed that way for several seconds, staring up at me. Then she screamed.

Now, when I say screamed, I don t mean like a little girl type of scream. I m talking about a bloodcurdling, glass shattering, 'oh-my-god-someone-is-getting-murdered' kind of scream. That kind of scream that leaves you and everyone else around you temporarily deaf for several minutes afterward.

The scream continued for several minutes, drawing the attention of most of the passing ponies, before she finally ran out of air. Gasping and clasping her hoof to her chest, Rarity continued to stare at me in horror, mouth opening and closing wordlessly.

Twilight, why in the name of Celestia do you have that, that thing with you?! Rarity said shrilly, her voice finally returning to her.

Actually Rarity, Twilight said, wincing as she rubbed a hoof in her ear. It was Princess Celestia that sent him to me.

What could possibly possess her to do that? Rarity s eyes never left me, as if she was afraid that the minute she looked away from me I d attack her. I noticed that she was shivering slightly.

Is she afraid of me?

She said that it was a belated gift for becoming a princess. She also said something about him teaching me about dealing with stress. Rarity seemed to accept that reluctantly. Licking her lips, she turned back to Twilight.

And you want me to do what again?

I need some clothes made for him, Twilight said, smiling sheepishly.

Why? The bluntness of the statement seemed to catch Twilight off guard.

B-because he needs help to stay warm? It was more of a question than an actual answer. Rarity s eyes narrowed, glancing between Twilight and me. I didn t need to be an expert in pony expressions to know she didn t want to. Twilight apparently got the same idea, as she moved to stand next in front of Rarity.

Please Rarity, she pouted, bottom lip trembling slightly. Do this for me, then you won t have to deal with him anymore. Chewing on her bottom lip, Rarity s eyes continued to dart from Twilight to me and back. It didn t really matter to me. I d been naked for the past two weeks straight. I had gotten over my embarrassment of being in the nude, as long as no pony tried to study me too closely.

Twilight, however, seemed to deem it necessary for me to have clothes. She sat there, staring at Rarity with big, puppy dog eyes, her bottom lip trembling ever so slightly.

Fine dear, Rarity eventually sighed. Let s just do this as quickly as possible. Grabbing a tape measure from the other side of the door, Rarity approached me slowly, her legs still trembling slightly. Twilight seemed to be on edge as well, shuffling from hoof to hoof. Not wanting to end up getting hurt by a scared mare, I remained as still as possible. I may be bigger than them, but a hoof in a very uncomfortable place was something I wanted to avoid.

Moving quickly, Rarity first measured across my hips, then from my hips to my ankles. Moving to my shoulders, she measured their width, then from my shoulder to my hip. Even though the tape measure was clasped in her magic, she seemed to be avoiding touching me with it, as though I was diseased.

Apparently pleased with those few measurements, Rarity quickly backed away from me.

Alright, that should do it, she said, turning towards Twilight. Now, if you d follow me, I ll see what I can whip up. She walked back inside, Twilight and I following behind. We were just about to enter when Rarity glanced over her shoulder.

That thing can wait outside. Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but the look Rarity shot her seemed to be enough. Pulling at the leash, Twilight walked me over to a bench located beside the building. Pushing the leash against the side of the building, she fused it with the siding. She then returned to the door. Before she entered Twilight shot me one more worried glance before entering the shop and shutting the door, leaving me outside.

I grasped the leash and gave it an experimental pull, and confirmed that it wasn t going to budge. Sighing, I glanced around. The passing ponies ignored me completely, not even glancing in my direction. Convinced that I wasn t going to be able to run off, I sat on the bench and rested my head against the side of the building. I closed my eyes and sat there, simply content to listen to the sounds of the world around me. As I sat there, resting, a single thought crossed my mind.

How did it come to this?

I had been sitting there by myself for awhile before sounds of a nearby commotion grabbed my attention. Cracking my eyes open, I glanced around for the source of the sound. Across the street I spied several ponies in golden armor approaching one of the buildings. Knocking on the door, it was answered by a pony with a pale yellow coat and a bouncy mane that was a combination of purple and pink.

One of the guards waved a piece of paper in her face before they barged into the house. Several minutes later they emerged again, pulling a mint green unicorn with them. She was shackled and struggling violently. She had a strange, sheath-like object over her horn. I couldn t make out what she was yelling, but she was giving them an earful.

They gagged her with some cloth before pushing her into a sitting position against the house. One of the guards gave a whistle and a large cart rolled into view, pulled by more guards. I sat up straighter as I got a good look at the cart. It was basically a large cage with wheels.

This just got a little more interesting. Several ponies seemed to agree with me, as a small crowd began to gather in front of the house. The guards formed a perimeter around the front of the house, pushing back the curious ponies. The large cage was opened, and a few of the guards entered the house again.

A minute later one of the guards exited, a human trailing behind him. He led it to the cage before pushing it inside. Another human followed the first, then another. I started to count each human that emerged from the house.

One two three four five six seven eight. They continued to come, one human after another, males and females alike.

twenty three twenty four twenty five twenty six twenty seven... twenty eight. They started to come in twos and threes. I was beginning to have trouble counting all of them before they were shoved into the cage.

thirty eight forty three forty five forty nine fifty four. The cage was beginning to look cramped, humans pushing against one another as more and more of them were pushed in.

sixty three sixty eight seventy two seventy six eighty one. Finally the waves of humans began to die down, until the guard shoved one last straggler into the cage and slammed the door. That cart-cage was packed. Arms and legs stuck out through the cage bars as the human pushed against one another. I had a rough final count of ninety eight. They had pulled ninety eight humans out of that one house.

The cart rolled off, disappearing around the corner of the street. The guards were now talking to the pony that had opened the door, occasionally pointing to the mint green unicorn still squirming on the ground. The pale yellow pony seemed to be on the verge of tears. The guards continued to talk, and the pony began to nod.

I was so entranced by the scene before me that I jumped as the door beside me opened and Twilight walked out.

Thanks again, Rarity. I really appreciate this. Twilight turned to me, a small package held in her magic. She looked a little worn out, a small frown on her face. Approaching me, she slipped the package into her saddlebags. Grasping the leash in her magic, Twilight pulled it out of the building.

Rarity stuck her head out of the door, glancing at Twilight. Her mane was slightly disheveled now.

Any time, dear, just just please keep that thing as far away from me as possible. Pulling her head back inside, she slammed the door and flipped the sign in the window from open to closed. Twilight stared at the door for several seconds, shaking her head, before turning and walking away. A quick pull on the leash and I was off behind her.

That didn t go as I expected, she muttered, head hung low. I didn t know Rarity felt that strongly about humans. We walked in silence, heading in the opposite direction of the human-filled cart.

As we walked, I began to notice that the buildings were beginning to be more spaced out. We were leaving the town. The path turned from cobblestone to dirt as we headed towards a nearby forest.

Where are we heading? We walked a little bit further before a structure appeared in the distance. I almost didn t see it as it practically blended in with the surrounding area.

It looked like someone had built a small cottage at the top of a small hill. A small creek ran in front of the cottage, murmuring gently. A bridge crossed the creek, connecting one side of the path to its counterpart on the other side. Birdhouses hung from every possible position around the house, as well as bird feeders. Whoever lived here appeared to be an animal lover.

Hopefully that love extends to humans as well. Twilight stopped just on the other side of the creek. I stood right behind her, waiting.

I hope Fluttershy s home, Twilight sighed, staring at the cottage. I need some cheering up after that talk with Rarity. We proceed to head across the bridge and up to the door. Twilight rapped on the wood with her hoof. A small eep came from the other side followed by a fluttering sound. With a click, the door swung open slowly and a pony stuck its head out of the door.

Oh, h-hello Twilight, the mare said, her voice barely above a whisper. She opened the door wider and stepped out. Her coat was a lovely yellow color, wings clasped at her side. Her face was partially hidden behind a large, fluffy pink mane.

Oh. My. God. She s adorable!

Hi Fluttershy, do you have a second? Twilight said, forcing a smile on her face.

Of course. What do you need? My heart nearly burst when Fluttershy tilted her head to the side.

Could you possibly take a look at my human for me? Fluttershy glanced over at me quickly before turning back over to Twilight.

I m not a human expert, but I d be happy to give him a quick checkup, she said, a small smile on her face. Turning around, she fluttered trotted back into her house. Twilight followed, leading me behind her.

The interior of the cottage was apparently built for creatures bigger than humans. The ceiling was high, looming several feet above my head. Despite the high ceiling, it was a homely little house, where one could live comfortably. There was evidence of animals littered across the floor. A few feathers here, a couple of tufts of fur there. The entire place had a calming air to it.

Taking the leash from Twilight, Fluttershy led me over to a small couch and sat me down with a gentle push of her hoof. Opening her wings, she fluttered up and hovered in front of me.

Well, aren t you a nice looking human? she crooned, looking at me with her big, cyan eyes. Clasping my head in her hooves, she tilted it first to the left then to the right, studying my features, humming softly as she worked. Placing a hoof on my chin, she pushed down, forcing my mouth open. Leaning in slightly, she studied my teeth.

His teeth appear to be in excellent condition. Most humans have yellowing teeth, but his are more of a whitish hue, she said, leaning back and releasing my jaw. She slowly moved down my body, studying and prodding as she went.

When she reached my ribs she paused, frowning slightly. She prodded my side with her hoof, causing me to squirm slightly. She prodded me again and I fought the urge to laugh. I was ticklish, and her soft pokes were hitting the right spots.

He appears to be slightly malnourished, she finally said, glancing back at Twilight who perked up. She stood up and walked over to the hovering pegasus, leaning in to get a better look.

You should barely be able to see his ribs, but as you can see, Fluttershy said, rubbing a hoof across my exposed ribs, his ribs are more pronounced. She continued to rub the hoof across my ribs, a small frown on her face as she continued to study me. The motion was actually nice, and was quite soothing.

He wasn t fed properly. Turning to Twilight, she left her hoof on my chest.

Where did you get him from?

Princess Celestia sent him to me last night. She said that she found him in a group of humans that some traders were taking to market at Canterlot, Twilight said, tilting her head slightly. Why?

Whoever was taking care of him wasn t doing it properly. He s clearly been underfed. They weren t giving him the proper amount of food on a daily basis. Fluttershy took her hoof and grabbed my hand with it. I felt her hoof grip my hand; it reminded me of a suction cup. Lifting my hand up for Twilight to see, she pointed at my wrist with her free hoof. The skin around my wrists were still red, raw from the rope bindings that I had worn for the past two weeks.

You can also see where his wrists have been bound.

He had ropes around his wrists when he arrived at the library last night, but I removed them before I went to bed. Twilight stared at my wrists, a strange expression on her face. It s possible the princess had them bound before she sent him, just to make sure he didn t freak out and attack me. Fluttershy shook her head, releasing my hand.

No, she said staring off in distance, almost in a trance. It would have taken longer than that for his wrists to get in that state. His wrists would have to have been bound for over a week. Twilight studied Fluttershy with a hard look, sucking lightly on her cheek.

Are you suggesting that the traders the princess ran into were treating their humans poorly? Twilight finally asked, her voice calm.

I-it s possible, yes, Fluttershy replied, snapping out of her trance. The two mares were silent for a while, both lost in thought.

I ll write to the princess when I get back home. Hopefully she will be able to shed some light on the situation, Twilight finally said. Fluttershy nodded in agreement. Returning her attention back to me, she continued her examination.

For someone who claims not to be a human expert, she picked up on those signs fairly quickly, I mused as she worked down my body again.

He seems to be rather muscular, she said, slowly running a hoof over my abs. He s not the most muscular human I ve seen; those belong to Applejack. He is rather fit though, considering his malnourished state. She continued moving down, her hooves dancing across my skin as she worked.

Okay we re getting a little too low there. Unable to voice my complaints, I was forced to sit there and wait as she moved down to my groin. Spreading my legs slightly with her hoof, she leaned in slightly before gasping and jerking up quickly.

O-oh oh my, she stammered, her face growing red. Her wings seemed to lock up and she landed on the floor with a soft thump. Twilight looked at the pegasus curiously, tilting her head to the side.

What s the matter? Twilight asked, inching closer to the flustered mare. Fluttershy? Fluttershy looked at Twilight, her face crimson. She tried in vain to hide behind her mane, clearly embarrassed.

What did you expect when you went looking down there?

Um, Fluttershy squeaked, turning redder, if that was even possible. He... he h-has an impressively sized... She trailed off at the end. Twilight just looked more confused.

Come on! Does she have to paint you a picture?! Fluttershy refused to meet Twilight s eye, instead watching her hoof as she drew circles on the floor.

Could you repeat that? Twilight asked, leaning in closer.

H-his m-m-member is l-larger than most h-humans, Fluttershy managed to say, refusing to look up. Twilight s face immediately lit up as well, wings snapping out.

The wing-thing must have something to do with arousal... I was now sitting there, glancing between the two flustered mares, each one unable to look at the other.

Twilight was the first to recover. Finally glancing at Fluttershy, she cleared her throat.

An-anything else?

N-nope. H-he appears to be in good health, except for being slightly underweight and having injuries on his wrists. Fluttershy gave me a final look-over, avoiding my crotch. I d just make sure you are keeping him well fed and hydrated, as well as give him plenty of space to wander freely. Landing, Fluttershy shuffled backwards slightly, picking the end of the leash up in her mouth. Twilight approached, taking the leash in her magic.

Thanks Fluttershy, she said, smiling at the timid pegasus. I really appreciate your help.

You re welcome, Fluttershy said softly, smiling back. Just make sure to take good care of him. He s such a lovely looking human after all. The pair hugged before Twilight lead me out the door. Fluttershy stood in the doorway, waving at us as we walked away.

The rest of the afternoon was spent going to various shops across town. At some I was allowed inside, while at others I was forced to wait outside. We stopped by a store that was called HumanSmart. I had to resist the urge to smash my head against the building at that.

Twilight bought a bed that looked very similar to a large dog bed from back home. Along with the bed she bought a couple of blankets. She also bought two bowls, which I m assuming were meant for water and food.

There s no way in hell I m crouching on the floor to drink.

She also bought some toys, much to my horror. They were similar to dog toys back home, except that they weren t themed for dogs. There were balls, some knotted ropes, frisbees, and some squeaky toys. I think I died a little inside as she bought them.

We hit a few more shops after that, including a astronomy store that made it clear that there were NO HUMANS ALLOWED! I was forced to wait outside for nearly an hour as Twilight drooled over the telescopes.

It was during these periods, when I was left outside by myself, that I tried to memorize the town as best as I could. If I ever managed to get away from Twilight I wanted a clear escape route.

After Twilight finally emerged from the astronomy store, we continued our store hopping, each one as strange as the last.

It was at one particular shop, the one shaped like a gingerbread house, that I spied a large sign with the words Welcome to Ponyville emblazoned on it in large, golden letters.

At least I now have a name to go with this crazy town. Ponyville, another punny name. Or is it pony name? A punny pony name? I was still musing over that when Twilight emerged and retrieved me, leading me to the next store. I didn t even taste the food she had bought for me inside

We arrived back at the library just as the sun was going down. Entering the building, I sat down on the floor, rubbing my feet. Twilight latched my leash to the wall, then proceeded to empty her saddlebags. Carrying the objects she just bought to their appropriate places, she hummed to herself. After placing my new bed on the ground near the wall the leash was attached to, she entered the kitchen.

Glancing around lazily, I noticed a small desk in the corner of the room. I perked up as I noticed what was on it.

Scrolls, ink and quills! I immediately stood up and made for the desk. I had just about reached it when my neck snapped back, the collar choking me. Glancing behind me in confusion, I groaned at the sight behind me.

I had reached the end of my leash. Grabbing it, I pulled it taut, trying to get a couple more inches of it out of the wall, but to no avail.

Turning back to the desk, I reached an arm out, grasping for the material. It was just out of my reach. Straining, I tried harder and harder to reach my intended target. My fingertips had just brushed against the scroll when a shout behind me startled me. Something tugged on the leash, causing me to fall backwards on my ass.

Looking around, I was confronted by an angry Twilight.

No, those are not yours! she said sternly. Walking to the desk, she wrapped one of the scrolls in her magic. Smacking me on the back of the head with it, she gathered up the rest of the clutter covering her desk. Quickly storing the material in the shelves above it, well out of my reach, she continued to glare at me as if I had just insulted her in some way. Turning towards me, she pulled out the toys she had bought at the human store and waved them in my face.

These are yours! You can play with these! She threw one ball at me, putting a little more force behind it than was necessary. It bounced off my head, falling to the floor in between my legs. Tossing the rest of the toys on the ground, she walked over to where the leash met the wall. Twilight then proceeded to shorten the length of the leash before turning off the lights and heading up the stairs.

Now, you stay down here and behave. I have a letter to write. With that, she disappeared upstairs leaving me alone in the dark. I sat there, glaring up at where the mare had disappeared to. She had just crossed the line.

I had been in this goddamn place for two weeks. For two weeks I have been treated like shit, forced into a small cage for too long, barely fed, and forced to watch as other humans were neutered and branded, with the knowledge that there was nothing I could do if they decided that it was my turn. What s more is the fact that every attempt I had tried at communicating with the ponies had been thwarted by them, albeit the attempts weren t many.

For two weeks I have had to deal with this bullshit, and I had had enough!

Fine, if they want to treat me like an animal, then I m going to start acting like one. A sudden pressure in my lower stomach made me realize something. I haven t had the chance to go to the bathroom yet. From what I saw today, most humans did their business outside. With Twilight now resigning herself to her room for the night, I doubted that she would be letting me out anytime soon. Unable to reach a bathroom, or a nearby window, that left only one option. I wasn t happy about it, but I ve seen my dog do it several times, and if I was going to act like an animal, I might as well do it too.

The urge growing, I looked around the dark room. Spotting my prey just within my reach, I smiled. Standing up, I descended upon the poor rug.

This should wake her up in the morning.


	8. Chapter 8

/-/  
/ Chapter 7: Buyer Beware/-/

Um, Twilight? When was the last time ya got any sleep?

I m telling you Applejack, I m not going crazy. I know what I saw!

"I m not sayin ya are, sugarcube. I m just sayin that perhaps ya didn t see what ya thought ya saw.

This is better than daytime television

I m telling you Applejack, he did it right in front of me. Right in front of me! It was plain as day!

And I m tellin ya, that it s impossible. There s no way in Tartarus ya saw that!

And I m telling you, for the last time, I KNOW what I SAW! I wouldn t be here otherwise!

Where s a tub of over-buttered, over-cooked, over-priced popcorn when you need it?

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, feeling the coarse hay underneath scratching at the soles of my feet. My owner and I were currently standing inside of a large barn, which was owned by one of her friends, an orange pony named Applejack. The two mares were having a heated debate at the moment, much to my enjoyment. Especially because it was something I had originally caused...

Did you know that Twilight reads out loud to herself? I learned that little fact quickly when she had sat down to read Your Human and You. She mutters under her breath, but when there are no other sound it s actually quite loud. At first I thought it was extremely annoying.

That was, until she reached the chapter titled Better Understanding of Your Human . Did you know that humans from this world apparently can t smile?

...no? I didn t know that either. Needless to say, I had put this newfound knowledge to good use the next day, and now there we were, asking Applejack for advice and help.

I m telling you Applejack, I was just walking by him and he smiled at me! Just like a pony! Twilight snorted, stomping her hoof on the ground and sending dust flying into the air.

Twilight, ya know as well as I that humans can t smile!

And to make matters worse, she continued with a frustrated growl, mare continuing to ignore her friend, he s been doing it non-stop, but only when I m the only one looking! It was clear from Applejack s expression that she was done arguing. Rolling her eyes, the orange pony simply lowered her hat further across her face and turned away from Twilight. She limped slightly, her back left leg bound around the ankle.

I m sorry, Twilight, but I simply don t have time for this. She huffed, returning to what she was originally doing when we had first arrived: feeding her humans. There were hundreds of them in the barn, packed into little enclosure-like areas around the walls of the barn. It kind of reminded me of an indoor cattle barn back home.

There were about an equal amount of males and females, each gender placed in separate pens. All the humans were naked, but after dealing with that for about three weeks now, I had become desensitized to it. They shuffled around, eyeing Twilight and me with an animalistic curiosity, grumbling and growling to each other. Have you ever seen a human growl like a monkey and actually mean it? It s actually quite fitting.

Twilight sighed, defeated, her head hung low and ears splayed backwards. She looked tired, her hair disheveled and bags under her eyes. I took pride in her appearance. It had been hard work, after all.

I m sorry AJ. I m just getting really stressed over this whole owning a human thing. I didn t realize it would be so much work. I don t know how you manage it, she said, looking around at all the humans housed in the barn. Applejack chuckled, glancing over her shoulder at Twilight.

It ain t all that hard, sugarcube. I barely have tah deal with these humans, she said, waving a hoof around. They re meant for breedin , so all I have tah do is keep em fed and watered. Twilight s eyes widened at this.

You breed humans? she asked, looking at Applejack in awe. I thought you just used them to help around the farm! Applejack nodded, tossing a couple of more apples into a nearby pen. The humans inside descended upon the fruit like a swarm. The apples were gone in under thirty seconds, core and all.

As they fed, I got a closer look at them. Leaning in slightly, I saw that each human had an apple branded on each side of their hips, the letters SAA filling the core of the apple. Seeing as this place was called Sweet Apple Acres, I assumed that the brand indicated that the humans belonged to Applejack. Or at least to her family.

I leaned back and scratched at my 'shirt' Rarity had made, although calling it a shirt was being too generous. It was an old potato sack with holes cut into it, and boy did it itch! My pants weren't any better, looking like she had simply combined parts of a couple of sacks into something that roughly resembled a pair of pants. They weren't the most comfortable things I have ever worn, but at least they protected me from the sun's rays, right?

We use em for both breedin and workin , she said, trotting to the next pen. We just keep the workin ones in a separate barn so that they don t get mixed up.

So you breed humans so that they can work on your farm? Twilight asked, following close behind Applejack. I was pulled along with them, my leash still in Twilight s magic. As I walked along, I eyed the cowmare.

She breeds humans, as well as uses them for manual labor? I m not sure how I feel about that. Glancing at the humans around me, I noticed that a lot of them looked to be well fed. At least she was taking care of them.

Not really. Most humans we breed tend tah go off tah an outside contributor. They pay fer the humans, we breed em. Applejack replied, flinging more food into a nearby pen. And as fer em working on the farm, we just mainly use em fer the heavy liftin . We still collect our apples with good ol fashioned pony power.

So, any advice you could give me about handling a human? Twilight asked, her eyes lighting up with hope.

In my experience, just keep em well fed and comfortable and ya can t go wrong. Applejack said, turning towards her friend, wincing slightly as she put weight on her injured hoof. If he s happy, then ya ll be happy too.

I liked this mare already. She is alright in my book. Twilight frowned slightly, clearly not happy with the answer given.

And if he continues to give you trouble after that? she asked, cocking her head to the side.

Well, Twilight, the best way tah make sure he ain t causin trouble is tah get em neutered.

I hate this mare. She needs to go die in a hole. Twilight blanched visibly.

Neutered? Is that the only way? She looked back at me with was that pity? Sorrow? I couldn t tell, but I didn t really care right then. I was waiting for the answer. I needed to know if I had to fear for my man parts.

Please let me keep my balls, please let me keep my balls, please let me keep my balls.

When any of these males here gets too worked up, we simply snip em and send em over to help with the labor. Quick, clean and they tend tah calm down fairly quick. Twilight glanced back at me one last time before shaking her head.

No, I couldn t do that to him. I relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. Applejack simply shrugged, returning to her work.

It doesn t matter tah me, but just let me know if ya change your mind. I know a pony that can help out. Reaching the end of the row of pens, Applejack handed Twilight an apple before throwing the remainder into the last pen, causing another feeding frenzy. Twilight floated the apple over to me. I took it and looked at it. It looked like an apple

Was there anything else ya need sugarcube? If not, I have tah get back tah work. I need tah get things prepared fer this year's harvest.

Are you going to be able to participate this year? Twilight asked, glancing at Applejack s injury. I sniffed the apple. It smelled like an apple

The doctor said it should be fully healed in two weeks, Applejack said, smiling at Twilight. Besides, I wouldn t miss it for the world. I bit into the apple, my eyes widening as I chewed. It tasted nothing like the apples back home, or even the ones Twilight had been feeding me. It was the most delicious, juiciest, and heavenliest apple I had ever tasted. Sadly, I consumed it too quickly, and before I knew it, it was gone.

Okay, but don t be afraid to ask for help if you need it, Twilight said, flashing Applejack a quick smile. I looked around for another apple, but sadly couldn t find any more. The three of us headed towards the barn door, the mares talking quietly about the upcoming harvest. I was content to simply lick my hands clean of the remaining apple juice.

Reaching the barn door, we exited out into the heat of the summer sun. Closing the door behind us with a shove, Applejack turned to Twilight.

It was a pleasure talking with ya, Twi, she said, hugging her friend.

Thanks for listening, AJ, Twilight said, returning the hug. Releasing each other, Applejack limped off towards the house in the distance, waving back at us as she went.

As Applejack limped away, Twilight turned to look at me. We stared at each other for several seconds, each eyeing the other intently.

Then I smiled, flashing my teeth at her. Her eye twitched and she ground her teeth in frustration. My smile grew and I began to chuckle softly.

That mare had a set of lungs. She could scare away birds for miles with that scream of hers.

It had been nearly a week since I had arrived in the little town of Ponyville, and I decided to make Twilight s life a living hell.

Why? Because I felt like it. And because if they were going to treat me like an animal, might as well act like one, right?

Anyway, as I said, it s been a week since Twilight had become my official owner, and she was already looking stressed.

The first morning when she had come down and discovered the little present I had left for her on the rug was truly memorable. Her expression had been priceless, and I had enjoyed watching her clean it up. Too often it had been me cleaning up after my dog, but now it was someone else s problem to clean up after me.

I had been having a blast, until she locked me in the basement for the rest of the day to punish me. Two more accidents later and I was released from the basement and stuck in the yard. One thing I ll say for that mare is that she learns quick.

Accidents aside, I went out of my way to frustrate her. When I was finally let back inside the library, I paced back-and-forth. This simple action seemed to drive her insane. Weirdly enough, she seemed quite fine with it when she was the one doing the pacing. She would yell at me to sit down, and I would. For about five minutes, then I would start pacing again.

Once she had left something she had called a friendship report laying around when she had visited her friends. Unfortunately for her she had left it just within my reach. Not taking the time to read it, I proceed to shred the scroll into pieces, flinging the tiny pieces of parchment into various corners of the room. I m pretty sure she had an aneurysm when she had returned, and I got to have another trip to the basement.

There was also the matter of going outside. I would stand by the front door and nudge my head against it something I had picked up after watching other ponies and their humans indicating I wanted to go out. Once outside, I would nudge my head against the door again, indicating I wanted to go in. I could get away with repeating this action several times before Twilight would get fed up and either leave me outside, or keep me inside. It was especially fun to do this when she was trying to read.

Another fun time for me was bath time. Twilight had read in Your Human and You that you should bathe your human on a daily basis. Something about keeping our skin healthy or something like that. Needless to say, during these bathing sessions, I managed to empty the tub at least twice each time she bathed me. Even with her magic I was able to get her soaking wet by the end of the bath.

At night I would shuffle around downstairs, making as much noise as possible. As the night progressed I would start banging my fist on the wall and rapping on the windowpanes. Eventually, Twilight would come down to see what I was doing Spike was still too terrified of me to be alone in the same room as me and I would start nudging my head against the door. She would let me out and stand there as I wandered around the yard aimlessly. Frustrated, she would pull me back inside and head back upstairs. I would rest for a couple of hours, then start up again.

Needless to say, after a week of this Twilight looked stressed and tired, and I was actually beginning to enjoy myself. This whole 'being-in-another-world' thing might actually work out after all.

We returned to the library after our meeting with Applejack. Opening the door, Twilight entered and secured my leash to the wall as usual. Sighing, she climbed the stairs, her head hung low. Watching her go, I chewed on the inside of my cheek.

What s bugging her? I thought as she disappeared upstairs. Oh yeah, me! I smiled at this, then proceed to sit down in my comfy little bed. It wasn t that big, but my god was it comfortable. Even though I was lying on the floor, I never woke up with any back pains at all.

Leaning against the wall, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. Causing mayhem was tiring work.

I was alone in the Darkness. I couldn t see anything. There was nothing there for me to see anyway. I was absolutely alone.

I see you Wanderer... I whirled around, searching for the source of the voice. Darkness greeted my vision. There was nothing here.

If... there is nothing what is talking? The voice asked, amused. I started to run. I didn t care where I was heading, I just had to get away. I ran, but only Darkness was with me. I was trapped in never ending blackness.

You can t run from me, Wanderer, the voice said, growing stronger. My pace increased, though it did little good. I didn t know what the voice was, or who it belonged to, but I had to get away from it. My heart thudded in my chest, practically ripping itself free of my ribcage.

...please help them... another voice said, this one sounding sad. What the fuck was going on? I continued running until I couldn t take another step. Crouched over with my hands on my knees, I gasped for air. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Something was near me. Something was watching. Standing up, I slowly turned myself around and what I saw made my heart stop.

A pair of giant red eyes stared down at me, surrounded by a yellowish glow. The pupils, slitted and demonic, constricted as they focused on me. I felt a scream rise up in my chest as my mind was consumed by those monstrous eyes. Laughter filled my head as I slowly began to fade.

... I see you...

I woke with a start to the sound of my heart beating in my ears. Looking around, I relaxed as I remembered I was in the library. Leaning back against the wall, I wiped the sweat from my brow.

The sound of hooves on wood drew my attention to the stairs as Twilight descended, her head still hung low. Walking over to her desk, she place a rolled up scroll on it before turning to me.

There was something in the way she looked at me that I didn t like. It was almost like regret.

What s she up to? I wondered as she drew nearer. Reaching me, she checked to make sure the leash was secure to the wall before heading to the door. Opening it, she exited the library and closed the door behind her.

I watched her go. I wasn t that concerned with where she was headed. She often head over to that one place, 'Sugarcube Corner' was it? She would meet up with her friends there to grab a bite to eat. She had taken me once, deciding that I should stretch my legs after being locked in the basement overnight.

I sat with my back against the wooden wall, wondering what I was going to do to pass the time. I thought about going back to sleep, but after that dream I wasn t that sleepy anymore. I ran my hand along my leash absentmindedly as I thought. I froze as my fingers brushed over something.

Lifting the leash to my face, I ran an eye over the length of plastic. There, right in the middle of the leash, was a rip. It was so small that I barely noticed it, but it was still there. I felt a smile slowly spread across my face. If there was a tear, then that meant I possibly had a way out.

Standing up, I grabbed the leash in my hands and pulled. It quivered slightly as the material became taut, but it did nothing more. Grunting, I placed a foot against the wall and pulled harder. I saw the tear begin to grow. I was making progress.

Straining with all my might, I placed my other foot against the wall as well and pulled. I was basically standing against the wall, my body parallel to the floor as I strained against the leash. My face turned red as I strained. Finally, with one final tug, the leash snapped and I was free!

I immediately fell, bashing the back of my head against the floor. I simply laid there, staring up at the stars dancing around my vision. Sitting up, I shook my head. The leash dangled from my collar, no longer attached to the wall. After many failed attempts over the past week I was free. Now I could make a run for it. I could get to the forest before Twilight even knew I was gone. Spike wasn t here; he was off having a sleepover with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, whoever the hell they were. There was no one stopping me from running now!

But first

I glanced around the library, an evil smile on my face. I was going to leave Twilight a farewell present. Standing up, I began to look around for things to destroy. Twilight s desk caught my eye, as did the scroll she had placed upon it before leaving.

Still smiling, I headed over to the desk and picked up the scroll. Popping the seal, I unrolled it and held it under a nearby light.

Let s see what I m about to destroy. My eyes scan the document in front of me. It was a letter, to Princess Celestia. Oh god, it s not another one of those stupid friendship reports, is it? Looking closer I noticed that there were teardrops on the scroll, as if she had been crying while writing it. Curiosity getting the better of me, I began to read.

Dear Princess Celestia,

It is with a heavy heart that I write to you today concerning the human you have placed in my care. I am not sure the reason you sent him to me, but I m afraid whatever the reason was, I have failed you.

Ever since he has arrived, he has been causing me nothing but grief. Because of him I have gotten in a fight with my friend Rarity. He is constantly misbehaving, despite everything I have done to stop him and despite your reassurances that he was well behaved. He is causing havoc in the library and Spike is terrified of him, for reasons I don t know. He is keeping me up at night, and preventing me from getting work done during the day.

I have tried to approach this with patience and an intelligent mind, but I cannot take it anymore. I have tried to treat him with the best care a pony can treat a human with, but he seems to fight me at every turn. I fear that, in the end, he may just be too wild to live peacefully around ponies.

Thus, once Spike returns from his sleepover, I shall be returning him to you to do with what you will. I am sorry to have let you down, but I was not prepared for this.

Your Faithful Student,  
Twilight Sparkle

I read over the letter several times before lowering it, my smile no longer present on my face. I should be glad, shouldn t I? After all, that was my plan wasn t it? To make Twilight so stressed she couldn t stand it anymore? I should be happy, right? So why wasn t I?

... because this isn t me, I realized. Glancing over the letter again, I reread several key sentences.

I have tried to treat him with the best care a pony can treat a human with . I chewed on my lip, rereading that sentence again and again. To a pony, I was a human. To a pony, a human was nothing more than a mindless animal. Twilight wasn t trying to treat me horrible because I was a human: she was treating me like she was taught to treat a human. It was no different than how we treated cows, horses and other such animals back home.

I fear that, in the end, he may just be too wild to live peacefully around ponies . This statement made me wince slightly. She had called me wild . I had just been acting like a human, and she had called me wild.

No, I thought, my eyes widening. That was just it though, wasn t it. I had been acting like a human. I was behaving like the humans that lived here, not like the human I was. I had been acting like a wild human of this world, instead of the intelligent humans of Earth.

This isn t who I am. Raising my hand to rub my neck, my fingers brushed against the collar. Grasping the cool plastic in my hand, I held onto it as I slowly surveyed the room. My toys littering the room, the bed I slept in, the blankets bunched in the corner. All of it reminded me of my dogs back home. None of it said intelligence . Instead it clearly said pet .

A mirror hanging on the wall near the door caught my attention. I walked slowly over to it, dreading what I d see. Reaching it, I gazed at my reflection. The face that stared back at me was that of a stranger.

When I had first arrived in this world, my appearance had been respectable. My hair neatly taken care of, my face clean-shaven except for the mustache that McDonald s had allowed me to keep. I was clean, I was respectable, I was a human!

But the thing staring back at me from deep within the mirror was completely alien to me. My brown hair was now shaggy and a complete mess. Weeks without shaving had turned my clean-shaven face into a disaster. A scraggly beard covered most of my face, unkempt and untrimmed. Patches of dirt and grime covered the skin that I could see. I was horrid, I was disgusting, I was an animal.

I gazed into my own brown eyes. What gazed back at me was not something I recognized. They use to be filled with life, with happiness and hope. Hope for the life I had before, after I went to college and earned a degree. After I landed my dream job. After I had grown up.

Now, all that gazed back at me was emptiness and anger. No life was in my eyes anymore, just instinct.

I had gone from the human I used to be, to a human this world knew so well.

... this isn t me. Tears slowly began to fall down my cheeks as I continued to gaze at my reflection.

When did this all go so wrong? Tearing my gaze away from the accursed mirror, I ran my fingers through my unkempt hair. Eyes darting around the room, I tried to find something, anything, that would help calm me down.

My eyes once again landed on Twilight s desk. And the stack of papers on it. I walked over to the desk, feeling like I was underwater. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I searched the drawers of the desk until I found a bottle of ink and a quill. Unscrewing the cap, I dipped the quill into the ink. Grabbing a piece of paper, I placed the tip of the quill against the parchment.

I hesitated, just for a second, before finally beginning to write.

The sun had long since set by the time Twilight had returned home. I was content to wait for her, sitting in the dark of the library, alone with my thoughts.

The sound of hooves outside the front door was what alerted me that she was home. Opening the door, I saw her standing there bathed in moonlight. She had the saddest look on her face, and it brought tears to my eyes again, for I knew I was the one who had caused it.

She stepped into the library and closed the door, darkness enveloping us again. Sitting at her desk, perfectly still, I heard her shuffling around and then the sound of a lamp being turned on. A dim light filled the room, bathing everything in a golden glow.

She had her back to me so she didn t see me right away. I saw her glance at my vacant bed. Her ears perked up immediately and she gasped as her eyes found the tattered bit of leash still sticking out of the wall.

She whirled around, wings flared, as she scanned the room for me. Her eyes found me, and I gazed back at her unblinking. I could see pain and fear well up in her eyes as tears began to form.

You got loose, she whimpered, still staring at me. What in Tartarus did you destroy this time? I did nothing. I just sat there, staring at the mare whose life I had turned into a living hell for the past week.

Slowly, steadily, I held up the parchment I had written on, showing it to Twilight. Squinting, she slowly approached me, trying to make out the words upon the parchment.

When she was just a few steps away from me she froze. Her eyes widened and her wings flared wider as she read the five words I had written upon that sheet of paper.

+Twilight, we need to talk+


End file.
